“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is working onerous to proceed mitigating any affect on candidates from or in India by persevering with to share the workload throughout our world processing community,” Isabelle Dubois, spokesperson, IRCC, solely instructed The PIE Information.
“Indian nationals and residents can proceed to use to review in Canada, and Canadian designated studying establishments proceed to welcome college students from India. All purposes from all over the world are assessed on a case-by-case foundation by highly-trained immigration officers and equally towards the identical standards.”
Each India and Canada have expelled their high envoys, together with different diplomats, over accusations that Indian brokers had been concerned within the killing of a outstanding Canadian-Sikh activist, Harjinder Singh Nijjar.
The Canadian police has additional alleged India’s involvement in “homicides, extortion and violent acts” towards supporters of the pro-Khalistan motion, which seeks a separate nation for Sikhs in India.
Canada, which is residence to one of many largest Indian-origin diasporas on the earth, has over 400,000 Indian college students, in response to the most recent information of scholars learning overseas shared by the Ministry of Exterior Affairs.
With worldwide college students contributing practically $31 billion to the Canadian economic system in 2022, Indian college students – the nation’s largest worldwide pupil cohort – make up a substantial chunk of the income turbines.
Nevertheless, the latest diplomatic tensions have frightened Indian college students, stakeholders, and Canadian establishments, who’re already seeing a declining curiosity within the North American nation.
Furthermore, apprehensions about visa and examine allow processing have been raised as Canada’s Excessive Fee in India sees extra officers relieved from their duties.
IRCC has allayed considerations round such fears, sustaining that a lot of the purposes from India are processed in Canada.
“The massive majority of purposes acquired from these in India are processed exterior of India, with properly over 90% of India’s purposes processed in Canada,” stated Dubois.
Although there was a 50% dip in examine permits accredited from India in H1 2024 in comparison with H1 2023, Indian college students stay Canada’s largest worldwide pupil cohort.
The massive majority of purposes acquired from these in India are processed exterior of India, with properly over 90% of India’s purposes processed in Canada
Isabelle Dubois, IRCC
Based on information shared by IRCC by means of its Open Information Portal, 88,200 examine allow purposes had been processed from India between January and July 2024.
A number of stories have instructed that sure gangsters and extremist people from India have entered Canada on examine visas.
Furthermore, it emerged that not less than two of the 4 individuals arrested in relation to the killing of Nijjar had entered Canada on examine permits.
The Indian authorities maintains that it has shared 26 extradition requests with Canada and in addition safety data on gangs, however no motion has been taken.
There have additionally been discussions about short-term residents, together with worldwide college students, requiring police clearance certificates, however Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller has refuted this.
“IRCC continues to work carefully with the Canada Border Companies Company, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Safety Intelligence Service in addition to our closest worldwide companions to hold out complete safety screening to assist mitigate potential safety and criminality dangers with these looking for to enter Canada, together with the sharing of safety danger data because it pertains to immigration,” stated Dubois.