Chinese millionaires on Tuesday pleaded for the Canadian government not to throw away the immigration applications of thousands of Chinese nationals as part of its plans to end a backlogged investor program.

At a news conference, 10 investor applicants delivered their crestfallen message - that their faith in Canada as a "trustworthy country," with its attractive rule of law, environment and welfare system, was wavering.

Last month, Canada announced its intention to terminate its immigrant investor program and eliminate the longstanding backlog of applications - amounting to more than 65,000 people, most of whom are Chinese. It said immigrant investors pay less in taxes than other immigrants and are less likely to stay in Canada over the medium to long term.

Investor applicants, some of whom had applied five years ago, said they were discussing their options with lawyers in Canada and whether to claim compensation for the years they had been waiting.