Due to the current diplomatic dispute, Canadian visa applicants from India may now expect processing delays, according to the IRCC.
Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugees In reaction to India’s decision to unilaterally strip immunity for the bulk of Canadian diplomats, Canada is reducing its workforce in India from 27 to merely 5.
As of October 20, there were 62 Canadian ambassadors in India, 42 of whom have since returned to Canada with their dependant family members.
As a result, just 21 Canadian ambassadors remain in India, maintaining the parity demanded by the Indian government.
The Indian government has said unequivocally that they will only maintain the protection of 21 Canadian diplomats, which is equivalent to their diplomatic presence in Canada.
As a result, 41 Canadian ambassadors and their 42 family members left India last night.
There are a lot of Canadian citizens of Indian origin living in India or visiting their families.
They will be unable to seek aid from Canadian consulates in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chandigarh as a result of the continuing disagreement.
Only the Canadian High Commission in Delhi will be a point of contact for Canadian citizens in India.
All walk-in services at the consulates in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chandigarh have been suspended.
The Impact on Canada Visa Processing:
The removal of diplomats at the request of the Indian government has resulted in longer processing periods for Indian visa applicants to Canada.
The Immigration Minister pledged that entrants from India will be welcomed in the future.
Furthermore, because the majority of administrative chores are handled by a third party (VFS Global), new Canada visa applications will be accepted and processed.
According to IRCC, the worldwide network handles 89% of Indian applications, and the great majority of applications are already processed outside of India.
It is crucial to remember that common sense should triumph over diplomatic language.
The Canadian workforce has been downsized from 27 to 5, all of whom appear to be non-diplomats. In layman’s terms, whatever was being handled in India will be reduced by one-fifth.
According to the Immigration Minister, the five Canadian IRCC staff who remain in India will focus on duties that require an in-country presence, such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment, and managing critical partners.
As a result, Indian clients may expect some delays in the following months. This requires investing more time in:
Response to requests overall processing and Passport visa stamping
Canada’s Response
Canadian Global Affairs Minister Melanie Joly plainly indicated that they will neither respond or aggravate the issue.
She stated that Canada does not want to aggravate its issue with India, thus it would not request that New Delhi reduce its diplomatic representation in Canada.
“A unilateral revocation of diplomatic privileges and immunities is contrary to international law. “It is an obvious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” she stated.
“And threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory.”
So Canada either has no plans to respond to the issue or just want to end the tug-of-war here.
The Value of Indian Visa Applicants in Canada
Immigration is critical for Canada to keep up with its population and economic growth.
India is Canada’s leading source nation for temporary and permanent residents.
In the first half of 2023, 434,899 new international students were accepted to Canada, with India accounting for more than 40% of those students.
Furthermore, Canada admitted 84,000 Indians as permanent residents, accounting for about one-third of the 263,180 new immigrants admitted in the first two quarters of 2023.
As a result, Canada cannot afford to lose its primary source of immigration and visas.
“Not only is India the top country for permanent and temporary residents, but their citizens have made significant contributions to Canada, which cannot be overstated.” Indian newcomers have played an important role, and we will continue to welcome them.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller Marc Miller tweeted as we quote, “Processing times will inevitably be impacted by this unacceptable and unilateral decision by the Government of India, but we will strive to minimize the impact on people looking to come to Canada.”