Ottawa, Canada: The most recent measures taken by Canada to reduce migration are expected to have a detrimental impact on tens of thousands of international students, including those from India. It will also have a detrimental effect on individuals who are applying for resident and work permits.
These new regulations were implemented at the beginning of February and grant Canadian border officials the authority to modify the visa status of students, laborers, and migrants at any time if they deem it necessary.
Canadian border personnel are now authorized to deny or reject temporary resident documents, including electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) and temporary resident visas (TRVs), pursuant to the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
This implies that frontier officials are now able to revoke these documents, which include student visas and work permits. Nevertheless, there are specific criteria that must be adhered to in order to deny visas and permits. This encompasses a provision that allows officers to deny entry or revoke a permit even during the individual’s stay in Canada if they are not persuaded that the individual will depart the country upon the expiration of their authorized stay.
The officer has complete discretionary authority to render such a determination.
These new rules and regulations are subject to uncertainty and have the potential to affect tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of international students and laborers. Indians are the largest group of foreign nationals in either category.
Among the most favored destinations for Indian students, laborers, and legal migrants is Canada. According to government data, the number of Indian nationals who are presently pursuing higher education in Canada is over 4.2 lakh.
If a student, laborer, or migrant is rejected, they will be detained at the port of entry and returned to their country of origin. If a permit is revoked while an individual is currently studying, working, or residing in Canada, they will receive a notice requiring them to depart the country by a specific date.
In addition to these categories, Canada experiences a substantial influx of vacationers from India, each of whom possesses a temporary permit with a varying duration of stay. Canada issued travel visas to over 3.6 lakh Indians during the initial six months of 2024. Indians comprised 3.4 lakh tourists during the initial six months of 2023, according to data disclosed by the Canadian government.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will notify those who will be affected via email and their IRCC account. It is unclear what will happen to the money that has been invested or paid by such individuals, whether it be for their education, loans, mortgages, or rent paid by workers during their stay, in the event of an abrupt cancellation.
The Student Direct Stream or SDS visa program, which was a preferred route for Indian students who were willing to guarantee money advance to ensure their education in the North American country, was closed down by Canada just three months earlier, in November 2024.
