As Indo-Canadian relations sour, anxiety grips Indian students, residents who wish to settle in Canada

Both governments are now grappling with strained relations, despite India having a significant student and Punjabi diaspora population in Canada, and Canadian educational institutions relying heavily on international students, with 40 per cent coming from India.

The escalating diplomatic tension has cast a cloud on those who wish to study and settle down in Canada

“I cleared my IELTS (International English Language Testing System) just last month, and now I’m researching various universities in Canada, as my ultimate dream is to settle there after my studies. However, I’m afraid the Canadian embassy may deny me a student visa,” expressed Vikramjit Singh Arora, a student from Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, Ashnoor Kaur, another student, says that her consultant told her that ‘study abroad’ opportunities won’t be impacted, as neither Canada nor India would want to halt this process. “I spoke to my consultant, who is assisting me in gaining admission to a Canadian college, and he assured me that there’s no need to worry,” Kaur said.

Narpat Babbar, an educational consultant and owner of Jupitter Academy in Jalandhar, is optimistic and says the impact would be short-lived. “It’s a temporary phase. Students contribute 30 per cent of their (Canada’s) annual budget. Things will likely return to normal in a couple of months. The country needs more students and lowered the admissibility criteria at the embassy level,» Babbar said.

However, another consultant Gurpreet Singh who has a decade’s experience in the field, expressed concerns about the ripple effect this situation might have on international students. “Every year, 40 per cent of international students migrating to Canada are from India. Canada can’t ignore such a substantial source of income. Now, we must see how both countries handle travelers’ entry at their respective borders. Some students may bear the brunt of this development,” Singh said

Chitresh Dhawan, a veteran in the study abroad industry, stated that it is too early to make definitive statements. “Things will likely become clearer in the coming days,” Dhawan said.

Some consultants noted that those promoting countries other than Canada for study might use this situation to discredit Canada, making baseless claims about its impact on study abroad. Concerns were raised that entry to both countries might become more challenging for students.

“Canada might consider capping the number of students from India in response to this development, though it is unlikely. Even so, the number of Indian students in Canada will likely remain substantial,” added another consultant.

Meanwhile, a Jalandhar-based couple who had applied for Canadian PR and were expecting it by the end of this year expressed their worries.

“We have been eagerly awaiting our PR status by the end of this year, but now we fear it might get delayed. Even if relations improve, there could still be a few months’ delay,” they said, requesting anonymity.

Another PR aspirant based in Jalandhar is also keeping his fingers crossed. “Most of my family members are settled in Canada, and they are eagerly waiting for me to join them as my PR is expected any moment. India and Canada must act sensibly, as these political decisions could affect our future,” the person said.