On October 21, 2025, MLT Aikins immigration lawyer Reis Pagtakhan spoke to CBC Information Radio about newly extended wait times for immigration programs – waits that can extend up to 50 years for some categories of permanent residency.
“It’s really the business programs, the refugees and the humanitarian categories where the waits are going to be excessively long, where it’s going to be decades or at least a decade,” said Reis to CBC’s Marcy Markusa. “There will be people who will make an application,” Reis continued, “who will be retirement age by the time they get here – or have died.”
While damage to Canada’s longstanding reputation as immigration leaders has already begun as a result of the sudden changes to permanent residency processes over the last 18–24 months, these increased wait times will only add to the issue.
Reis is a Canadian corporate immigration lawyer with more than 29 years of experience advising businesses and individuals on Canadian and U.S. immigration matters.
His practice is particularly focused on obtaining temporary entry and permanent residency for senior executives, managers, professionals and other company employees from all over the world, providing training to businesses and HR professionals on immigration law and processes and working collaboratively with business and HR professionals to create easy-to-use systems to comply with federal and provincial immigration laws.
Our team of immigration lawyers offer start-to-finish immigration application services for employers alongside ongoing support to ensure you’re compliant with regulatory obligations. Whether you’re planning to transfer a single executive to Canada or establish a new branch office, our team can guide you through the process of obtaining business visitor status, work permits, temporary resident visas, study permits, permanent resident status or citizenship for your prospective employees.
Note: This article is of a general nature only and is not exhaustive of all possible legal rights or remedies. In addition, laws may change over time and should be interpreted only in the context of particular circumstances such that these materials are not intended to be relied upon or taken as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult a legal professional for specific advice in any particular situation.
