Federal New Democrat immigration critic Jinny Sims says the Conservative government has "forgotten" nearly 10,000 applications for permanent residency after it closed the consulate office in Buffalo, New York, back in August.

"This Conservative boondoggle transformed the Canadian dream of thousands of people into a total nightmare," said Sims, MP for Newton-North Delta.

Sims noted that the applicants have not yet received a response from the immigration department nearly two years after paying their required fees and their files still haven't been assigned to agents.

She blamed it on $84.3 million in cuts to the department, particularly in staffing.