Canada will grant work permits to Hong Kong permanent residency applicants to allow them to stay in the country while they await a decision on their applications. “Due to a high volume of applications, processing times for this pathway have grown, and many applicants are at risk of seeing their temporary status in Canada expire before their permanent residence applications are finalized,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a Tuesday statement. The new policy, to be launched on May 27, will grant Hong Kong applicants a new open work permit, allowing them to extend their…