India-Canada Diplomatic Standoff, India Canada Diplomatic standoff impact: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Indian government agents of gathering intelligence, target killings, threatening Canadian citizens, and involvement in violence. Citing evidence from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Trudeau claimed that the six agents of the Indian government expelled from Canada were involved in activities that posed a threat to public safety. To be precise, the Canadian Central Police (RCMP) declared India's High Commissioner to Canada and 5 others as 'person of interest' in Nijjar's killing. As a result, New Delhi recalled its top 6 diplomats and also expelled equivalent level of Canadian diplomats. While the India-Canada relationship has hit a rock-bottom, the question arises what will be its impact especially for the large number of Indian diaspora and students who live in Canada? Below is a breakdown of it-
India-Canada diplomatic standoff impact
Relations between the two countries have become extremely strained since Canada expelled Indian diplomats and India recalled its High Commissioner. In such a situation, it is expected that it will become difficult for Indians visiting Canada for students, working professionals, and tourists to get visas. As per reports, it is believed that this dispute may impact the visa process and immigration policies in the long run, which may negatively impact the opportunities for Indians to study, work, and travel in Canada.
A few days back, immigrationnewscanada.ca published a report confirming a massive increase in Canadian visa processing times for Indians. The processing time has been increased for various temporary residence visa categories, including visitor visas, super visas, study permits, and work permits. The Canadian portal further brokedown how visa processing time have been increased over time, especially during India-Canada diplomatic standoff that intensified in 2023 and is expected to deteriorate more in 2024.
As of October 9, 2024, the following are the latest visa processing times for Indian nationals across various categories-
Canada Visitor Visa Processing Time: 112 Days
- Increased by 10 days since September 24, 2024
- Increased by 15 days since September 17, 2024
- Increased by 48 days since August 20, 2024
Canada Super Visa Processing Time: 99 Days
- Increased by 12 days since September 24, 2024
- Increased by 9 days since September 17, 2024
- Increased by 31 days since August 20, 2024
Canada Study Permit Processing Time: 6 Weeks
- Increased by 1 week since September 11, 2024
- Increased by 2 weeks since July 24, 2024
Canada Work Permit Processing Time: 28 Weeks
- Increased by 1 week since September 24, 2024
- Increased by 1 week since September 4, 2024
- Increased by 8 weeks since August 20, 2024
India's Contribution to the Canadian Economy
Canada has accepted that International students contribute over $22.3B per year to the Canadian economy – greater than exports of auto parts, lumber or aircraft in a report published in 2022. International graduates are also a source of key talent to help support Canada’s future economic growth and counteract the country’s aging demographic.
Notably, Indian students contributed $4.9b to the Canadian economy in 2021, according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education. Not only this, but Indian students are also the largest international student group in Canada, accounting for 20% of all international students in 2021.
It means the diplomatic tensions between India and Canada are expected to dent Trudeau's government more.