HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA

OTTAWA

Advisory for Indian students enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges whose visa applications have been delayed.

 We have received several petitions regarding Indian students who have been admitted to Canadian educational institutions/ Universities, but are unable to join the academic courses due to delays in processing of their visas and student permits.

 In recent years, Canada has emerged as a preferred destination for Indian students for post-secondary education. Currently, more than 230,000 students from India enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada, are making a positive contribution to the Canadian economy including through an estimated $ 4 billion in tuition fees.

The processing of visas is a sovereign power of Government of Canada.

The High Commission of India in Ottawa and our Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver continue to be engaged with relevant Canadian interlocutors including Canadian academic institutions and universities regarding problems faced by Indian students due to delay in issue of visas. Highlighting these issues and the fact that Indian students have already deposited tuition fees with the Canadian institutions we requested the Canadian authorities to expedite processing of visa applications for students from India.

The Canadian institutions/ universities have advised us that;

• They approached the Canadian Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to convey their concerns over delayed study permits.
• They are communicating with incoming international students, including students from India, providing them with timely, actionable information about all issues related to the study permit application process.
• They have in place contingency plans, in order to support those incoming students who do not receive their study permit in time to be present on campus when term begins in September.
• Some institutions will provide a remote option for students unable to reach Canada at the start of the term because they have not yet received visa. Students can contact the university/ institutions to find out which courses have a remote option, and to discuss their options in case some do not.
• For students wishing to defer their admission, the university/ institution is communicating to students their options including deferring the offer of admission to a later term or consider exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
• Affected students are encouraged to send a request for information and urgent processing through an IRCC web form meant for study permit applications that have been submitted and complete but have exceeded the current processing time for Student Direct Stream (SDS) scheme.

The High Commission advises Indian students so affected to contact the concerned Canadian institution/ university and work with them to find the best available options. The Mission will remain engaged with Canadian authorities and with Canadian educational institutions.

Ottawa, 19 August 2022