The current conflict between Canada and India would result in slower processing delays for Indian visa applications, according to a press conference with Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller on October 19th, 2023.
Nonetheless, Miller highlighted that Indian newcomers play an important role in Canada, and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to welcome them.
How large is the predicted backlog, and when will visa processing resume normal?
According to senior IRCC officials who have briefed Canadian stakeholders, the reduction in staff in India is expected to result in a backlog of 17,500 “final decisions” across Canada’s worldwide immigration system over the next two months. The administration, on the other hand, aims to resume normal processing by “early 2024.”
As a result, the 22 immigration staff members who were withdrawn from India will be able to reestablish themselves and return to work in Canada and the Philippines.
What caused delays in the processing of visa applications?
By October 20th, 2023, India has formally planned to withdraw protections for all but 21 Canadian ambassadors and dependents in New Delhi. This means that 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents face losing their immunities.
According to the IRCC statement, withdrawing diplomatic privileges and immunities is against international law, and India’s conduct is unfair and escalatory. Even though they were all carrying out their jobs in good faith and to the benefit of both countries, India had accredited each of the Canadian diplomats they are now removing.
According to IRCC, the mass expulsions are the reason that operations and customer service will be hampered.
Which operations will be affected?
According to IRCC, they have been compelled to temporarily halt all in-person services at Consulates until further notice. IRCC, on the other hand, would continue to accept and process applications from India. Certain application requirements must be fulfilled on-site or locally in a secure environment.
As a result, the reduction in the size of the IRCC team in India will have an impact on service standards for Indian citizens. The crew has been downsized from 27 to only five members.
The remaining IRCC staff in India will concentrate on work that need an incountry presence, such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment, and oversight of essential partners, such as visa application centres, panel physicians, and clinics that conduct immigration medical exams. The remaining work and personnel will be redistributed across IRCC’s global processing network.
However, IRCC anticipates that India visa operations will resume in the early part of the New Year.
What effect will this have on Visa Application Centres (VACs)?
IRCC is attempting to limit the impact by modifying the workload for Visa Application Centres (VACs), which already process the vast majority of Indian applicants.
Because VACs are operated by third parties, they will continue to function normally. Applicants will still be able to receive administrative assistance, send passports, and submit biometrics at one of IRCC’s ten India-based centres.
