Visa delay likely, shadow on winter enrolment plans of Canada-bound students

Consultants and agents, who assist prospective students with their applications and visa formalities, estimate a delay of up to 60 days in students getting their visas “in hand”.

The approval process, which typically usually takes 10 days with consulates and their third-party agencies handling passport stamping in respective cities, is expected to take significantly longer as the same process will now be carried out by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi.

“A very immediate impact will be delay in obtaining a visa for students wanting to leave in January. The basic difficulty of not being able to apply at the local consulate as one will have to travel to Delhi now for this,” Viral Doshi, an education consultant based in Mumbai, said.

Canada is the second largest destination among Indian students for overseas education, second only to the US. As of December 31, 2022, Indian students comprise 39.5 per cent of the total international student population in Canada. Given this number, Indian students contribute approximately 10 billion Canadian dollars annually to the country’s education sector.

Since the announcement Friday, tensions and apprehension have been high among prospective students preparing to leave for Canada in December.

Ramkumar Sathappan (32) from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, who has secured admission to a one-year PG diploma course in Saskatchewan Polytechnic College, in Saskatchewan Province, is among them. He has taken an education loan to fund his education in Canada and has already invested nearly Rs 20 lakh.

“I am feeling very anxious as I had applied for my student visa just last week. I am now expecting a delay in approval, which means I may have to defer (my acceptance). I have already paid one year fees and the GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) fees for the programme,” Sathappan told The Indian Express.

He will take a call on either withdrawing his application or proceed on his travel plan based on the time taken for his visa approval. “So far, there has been no communication from the university following the suspension of consular services,” he said.

Bengaluru resident Pavan Hanumantappa (32), who has secured admission to University of Canada West and wants to eventually relocate to Canada with his wife, is also worried about the education loan he has already taken.

“As of now, I am going to wait and watch. I have no plans to opt for another country, given Canada’s immigrant-friendly policies. However, what concerns me is the education loan which I have borrowed to pay my fees. At the end of the two-year loan term, I should be a graduate and should have found employment. If there is a delay in visa approval, resulting in delayed admission, I will attract interest on my loan while I am still a student. The loan is interest free for two years.”

Given that delays are now certain, consultants and agents are advising students preparing to leave for the winter session to file their visa application as soon as possible.

“Since this morning, students have been nervous about getting everything done in time. We are advising them to apply for their visa without delay. We are trying to calm them down by telling them that the success rate for Canadian student visa approval hasn’t changed since the diplomatic tensions first surfaced. The only change is now the processing may take 30 to 45 days as opposed to 10 days and they can be better prepared by applying (for visa) early,” Tirath Singh, a Jalandhar-based consultant, said.

This, however, has failed to calm nerves and many students are likely to defer their acceptance to the spring semester, said Kiruthika A, associate manager of Croyez Immigration in Bengaluru.

“Many Canadian universities require students to be present on the first day of their academic program. Given the likelihood of visa delays, some students may consider deferring their admission to May or September,” she said.

However, the confusion and concern is not just because of Friday’s development. Agents and consultants told this newspaper that parents have been worried about the safety of their children in Canada ever since tensions started escalating between the two countries.

“More than the adverse impact on visa (approval), there are other apprehensions among parents. Earlier one would worry about undercurrents of racism there. But now there are concerns about who is pro-Khalistani and who isn’t. Based on the news reports, parents are likely to worry over safety,” Doshi said.

The diplomatic row is likely to divert Indian student traffic to other countries, Doshi suspects. “Nobody is cancelling out in Canada. It has always been a popular study abroad destination for India… But students are definitely looking at keeping other options ready so that by the time of the August intake, if the situation is not better, even after obtaining admission, they might think to redirect their study abroad journey,” he said.

Others have already started noticing a dip in Canada-related inquiries. “While universities are making extra efforts to reassure parents and students, many parents are hesitant about sending their children to Canada. Inquiries regarding studying in Canada have declined since this dispute began. On the other hand, people are now inquiring more about Australia and the UK. Canada’s loss seems to be the gain of other countries. For instance, Australia has extended its post-work visa by one year, providing students with an additional year to recover their expenses and pursue permanent residency,” said Sanjay Chavda, an education consultant from Vadodara.

Nandini Shah, who had secured admission to Seneca College, Ontario, has dropped plans to go to Canada in wake of the escalating tensions.

“Embarking on a postgraduate journey to Canada was a dream I had nurtured for years… I had completed all the necessary academic requirements, and everything seemed to be falling into place until Indian students started facing issues due to the rising political tensions between India and Canada,” she said.

“Many Indian students have been seen protesting regarding inflation and the housing crisis. Being a student, my parents were equally scared of the situation and decided not to send me to Canada and apply to other countries. Going to Canada was my plan since day one and a lot of money was spent on it but in the end, it did not work out,” she said.

(With inputs from Deeksha Teri in New Delhi and Ritu Sharma in Ahmedabad)