Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has announced that there will be a slowdown in visa processing for Indian nationals seeking to travel to Canada. This is due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
As a result of these tensions, India has asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country. This has led to a reduction in the number of staff available to process visa applications.
The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reduced its workforce in India from 27 to 5 employees. While the IRCC is committed to continuing to process applications, applicants should expect longer processing times and slower services. This is because the workload for Visa Application Centres (VACs) is being adjusted.
Despite these changes, VACs will remain operational and will continue to provide administrative support, passport transmission, and biometric submissions. Miller emphasized that Canada is still committed to welcoming Indian newcomers, even though applications, particularly for students, will now be processed at a slower pace.
The IRCC has also highlighted that the majority of applications from India are processed outside the country. The 5 remaining IRCC staff in India will focus on essential in-country operations.
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