People from India who intend to immigrate to Canada over the next few months or move here to study will face delays in processing their immigration documents, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.
Amid the ongoing political tension between India and Canada, this announcement is a result of IRCC pulling 22 of its diplomatic staff in Delhi, leaving just five personnel to handle things on the ground in India. IRCC’s action was in response to India’s intent to unilaterally remove immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and their dependents by October 20, 2023. The roots of this tension between the two countries lie in the allegations by Canada against operatives of the Indian government for the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, BC, in June 2023, owing to his supposed links to separatist organizations in India.
Immigration hopefuls, international students and professionals from India, as a result, can expect to see delays in overall temporary residence (TR) and permanent residence (PR) visa processing times, responses to their enquiries, and getting their passports returned.
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According to a statement issued by IRCC, which is Canada’s government body tasked with administering and processing applications from people who wish to migrate to the country, “the large majority of applications from India are already processed outside the country, with 89% of India’s applications processed through the global network. The five Canada-based IRCC staff who remain in India will focus on work that requires an in-country presence such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment and overseeing key partners.”
While reduced staffing levels are expected to impact processing times, Canada maintains that Indians who intend to migrate to Canada remain vital to the country and that IRCC will continue to accept and process applications from India.
“Canada has a strong connection with Indian citizens, and will continue to welcome them, whether they wish to come here to visit, work, study, be reunited with loved ones, or live permanently in the country,” stated IRCC.
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