Canada immigration minister confirms 32,000 quota covers spouses and children under HK Pathway

Canada's federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab visited Markham, Ontario, on Saturday for a closed-door roundtable with Hong Kong community organizations and advocates, briefing them on the government's measures to clear the backlog of permanent residency applications under the Hong Kong Pathway in one go and hearing their views.

The meeting confirmed the 32,000 quota covers principal applicants, their spouses and dependent children, and the immigration department reiterated its commitment to clearing the Hong Kong Pathway backlog by the end of 2027.

Hong Kong Watch seeks clarity on family applications

Landson Chan, advocacy and communications officer at Hong Kong Watch, asked Diab whether the 32,000 quota is counted per application or includes family members. Diab confirmed the quota includes spouses and dependent children, not just principal applicants. Hong Kong Watch said the clarification gives waiting Hong Kong families a clearer picture of the measure's scope.

Canada-Hong Kong Link questions whether backlog exceeds 32,000

Canada-Hong Kong Link raised concerns that the actual backlog may exceed 32,000 cases, noting that publicly available figures are believed to date only to May this year. The group said the minister responded clearly that the new measure will cover all Hong Kong Pathway applicants.

The group also noted that while some open work permit applications have been processed quickly recently, others have waited nearly a year without a result, urging the immigration department to monitor case progress.

Federal officials attend, pledge to follow up on Hong Kong cases

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson and Liberal MPs Jean Yip and Michael Ma also attended. Ma said he comes from an immigrant family and understands the importance of building a stable life in Canada, pledging to continue relaying Hong Kong residents' concerns to the government and following up on individual cases.

Hong Kong Watch said it will continue working with MPs and the immigration department to ensure the measures are implemented fairly and on schedule.

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