The diplomatic spat between India and Canada took a concerning turn when India on Thursday “suspended its visa service till further notice”. The students who are scheduled to fly to Canada on student visas are now worried whether or not they will be granted entry to Canada.
As of now, India has suspended its visa services in Canada till further notice, but the same has not been announced by Canada. This means that student visas will be issued as per the existing rules and regulations, and as of now, no delay has been reported in the issuance of student visas to Indian students.
It also means that the Indian students who are already in Canada or have already obtained a study visa for Canada will not be affected by the recent escalation of diplomatic row.
Students in Canada hardly had to face any difficulty
The situation in Canada has not changed for Indian students, several students and experts have told indianexpress.com. Indian students who have been there for the past few weeks or years have said that they have not had to face any difficulty in the foreign country, even after the situation worsened on the diplomatic front.
“There are lakhs of Indian students who are pursuing their education here and the locals cooperate nicely with us. They understand that we left our homes to come and study here, and they make us feel at home. While there is some tension and murmurs about what will happen if the situation worsens between the two governments, we are all still following our daily routine,” said Khushpal Grewal, a member of the Montreal Youth Students Organisation (MYSO) based in Canada.
Karan (name changed on request), a Computer Engineering student, told indianexpress.com that there has been no change around him and locals have been as sweet as they had been before this issue. “While I’ve heard about the possibility of riots taking place in big cities like Toronto, there hasn’t been any change here in Waterloo as of yet,” he added.
Study abroad experts, too, believe that Indian students in Canada should not be worried by this situation as those travelling to Canada in the next few days or those in the country already have a valid visa.
“This movement should not have an impact on Indian students trying to get Canadian visas as approximately 40% of all international students who choose to study in Canada hail from India,” said Gaurav Batra, CEO and founder of the Infinite Group.
Karan also added that while things are calm in Canada, his family and friends in India have been worried due to the rumours. “There’s an Indian parent’s WhatsApp group for my batch of Indian students in Waterloo, and there have been messages every day from parents about their worries. My friends back in India have also reached out due to the rapid circulation of news,” he said. However, to be safe, Karan is now “cautious of not visiting Indian events organised here”.
The Indian students who are currently in India for vacation are also relaxed about returning back to Canada, amid this crisis. Pooja (name changed) is scheduled to fly back to Canada in mid-October, but says that she is not worried at all as she already has her visa in place.
“We have been hearing a lot of rumours and reports about what this tiff between the governments can do to Indian students, but the important thing is to stay calm and trust what the governments of both sides are telling us. My daughter already has a visa in place and she was here simply for a small vacation, so there is surely nothing to worry about,” Pooja’s mother told indianexpress.com.
Wait and watch
Experts are advising students to wait and watch how this situation takes shape in the next few weeks and accordingly apply for admissions to Canada-based universities.
“Canada has traditionally been a safe country for students and there are lakhs of Indian students currently studying there. We will need to wait and see how the situation evolves further,” said Piyush Kumar, regional director -South Asia and Mauritius, IDP Education.
However, some study abroad experts are issuing words of caution to those who are planning to head to Canada in the next few months. Their word of caution, however, is to plan everything with a buffer time for visas, as they are expecting delays in the visa processing time.
“Over the last 24 hours, there has been communication from Canadian universities that there ‘could’ be potential visa delays, hence students should skip the summer intake and rather apply for the fall intake in September/October 2024. Hence, that’s what our advisory is to students who are extremely keen on Canada as a destination for their future studies,” said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Leverage Edu.
Summer intake in Canada generally begins in May with deadlines for application ending during January.
Time to look at other options?
The ongoing job and housing crisis, in addition to the diplomatic row, have made some people to look for a second option in their choice of country for higher studies. Students have also started to consider other countries which have been popular for some time, such as the US, the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand.
As per the government data, over 1 lakh Indian students were in Australia in 2022, over 4.5 lakh in the US, nearly 1.64 lakh in the UAE, and over 55,000 in the UK. Ireland and New Zealand are also upcoming preferred destinations for students with 5,000 and 2,664 students (as per 2022 data).
However, experts have called for patience and urged the students not to strike out Canada from their list as it still provides one of the most student-friendly and immigrant-friendly environments.
“Canada provides the best courses in various popular areas of study such as Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, and Environmental Science. Universities in Canada offer five levels of education including Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, Diploma, and Certificate. With 90+ universities and hundreds of colleges, there are many options for students to choose from when looking for the best courses in Canada,” said Saurabh Arora, CEO and founder of the University Living.
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According to Arora, industry reports suggest over 90 per cent of graduates in Canada secure employment within six months after completing their studies, showcasing the quality of education and the country’s strong job market.
When asked to existing students in Canada, Karan, a student at the University of Waterloo, said that despite the housing and job challenges, “I strongly recommend students to come to Canada. The opportunities for learning and practical experience are exceptional, even though internships were difficult to secure during this time. These experiences teach us valuable skills for navigating job searches in any country, preparing us for economic crises”.
However, he also added that for those whose goal is purely work-related and not for studying, “exploring other countries might also be wise due to financial issues like housing markets in Canada.”