Canadian visas, and the many Indian students who apply

CANADA HAS stopped visa and consular services at its Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bengaluru consulates. These services will now be available only at the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. This has happened after Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi said it would revoke their diplomatic immunity.

What is the expected fallout of this?

The downsizing of Canada’s diplomatic corps and halting of visa and consular services in three major Indian cities will lead to a slowdown of Indian visa applications for Canada.

Canada offers seven categories of visas for Indian citizens: Visitor Visa, commonly used for tourism, visiting family or friends; Study Permit; Work Permit; Super Visa, a multiple-entry visa that enables parents or grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to visit for up to two years at a time; Business Visa, related to an investment or starting a business; Transit Visa; and Permanent Resident Visa, for those seeking to migrate to Canada.

The number of Indians migrating to Canada has tripled since 2020, as per official data. as many as 1.18 lakh indians became permanent residents in Canada in 2022; the number is expected to reach the 20-lakh mark this year. A large chunk of visa applications are for Study Permits, from Indian students who seek to study in Canadian universities.

How many Indian students are there in Canada?

As on December 31, 2022, a total 3,19,130 Indian students were registered in Canada. Of them, 209,930 were pursuing undergraduate degrees, 80,270 were pursuing postgraduate degrees, and 28,930 were studying for diplomas or certificates.

Indians going abroad for higher education touched a six-year high in 2022 at over 7.5 lakh, the Education Ministry told Parliament earlier this year. In fact, the number of Indians choosing to study abroad rose from 4.5 lakh in 2017 to 5.2 lakh in 2018 to around 5.86 lakh in 2019, as per government data.

Canada is the second largest overseas destination for Indian students after the United States. As of December 31, 2022, Indian students comprised 39.5% of the international student population in Canada. Other preferred destinations for Indian students include the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

In 2022, India was the top country for permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, and international students in Canada. The issuance of student visas by Canada to Indians has been rising steadily since 2015.

Why do so many Indian students want to study in Canada?

The number of international students is steadily increasing due to the generally high quality of education in Canada. Canadian degrees are considered to be as competent as those from the US or UK. It has also become a popular destination for vocational and diploma courses among international students. The cost of studying and living in Canada is relatively low, while the standard of living is high, making it an attractive destination for students.

Canada is a vast country with a low density of population, and offers a range of permanent and part-time job opportunities. It is easier to move from being an international student to having permanent residence (PR) status in Canada, especially when compared to countries such as the US.

Also, Canada’s government has been working proactively to attract foreign students. In 2022, it launched the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track visa processing programme for students from India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In April 2023, it announced a Post-graduation Work Permit Extension programme, under which international students may stay on for up to three years after graduation, gaining work experience and potentially a secure job in Canada.

How does having international (including Indian) students help Canada?

Indian students make a substantial contribution to the Canadian economy through tuition fees for colleges and universities, and by spending on living expenses such as food, accommodation, and transportation.

Tuition fees for international students in Canada are typically two to three times what is paid by domestic students. Indian students are estimated to put in approximately Canadian $10 billion annually to the education sector in that country.

Canada is generally welcoming of immigrants, and the Canadian economy benefits from the labour of international students in critical sectors. In 2022, international students filled approximately 370,000 jobs in

Canada, with Indian students accounting for over 170,000 of these positions.

What happens now after the slowing of the visa process?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which is responsible for processing visas, has said that it is reducing the number of employees in india from 27 to 5. the Canadian daily The Globe and Mail reported that the cutting of staff could lead to a back log of 17,500 decisions on applications from India.

However, the 10 visa application centres that are operated by third-party contractors will not be impacted. The Canadian authorities have said that even now, 89% of visa applications from India are processed outside the country, through IRCC'S global network.

“Remaining staff will continue to focus on the work that can’t be moved out of the country, such as urgent cases, visa printing, and working with visa application centres,” Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller said.