As a dispute escalates, hate crimes and visa refusal alarm students and parents
Indian students in the nation of North America and those who have sought for study visas are apprehensive that the tensions may have an impact on their immediate prospects after India suspended visa services to Canadian individuals on Thursday. Those who have already received visas to Canada or Indian nationals who have filed for visas are unaffected by the ban at this time.
Indian students made up the biggest cohort of the almost 551,000 new foreign students that entered Canada that year, according to data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2022, with 226,450 students. According to the report, 319,000 Indian students were already residing in Canada as of December 31, 2022.
Punjab, a province where traveling to Canada is still a popular choice, has been particularly troubled by the escalating conflict between the two nations. Simranpreet Kaur, 22, of Mand Village in Jalandhar, for example, said that she had just requested for a visa to attend a college in Brampton and was concerned that the diplomatic dispute might hurt her chances of getting the visa. “I have already gotten in touch with an immigration consultant to learn more about any potential changes to the visa-granting process.”
When the student program came to an end, Narinder Singh, whose son Jashanjot had already departed for Canada, expressed fear that the circumstance may jeopardize their prospects of receiving a work visa. We have been keeping tabs on him throughout the day. We invested a lot of money to transfer him to Canada, therefore we are worried that the Canadian government may limit work permits and make the process of becoming a permanent resident (PR) more difficult.
Ranjit Singh, a native of Jalandhar who is traveling to Canada to see his son Raunak, said that the majority of parents he met with expressed concern for their children’s safety. Security is the only problem, he continued, since there is concern that there may be incidences of hate crime.
Universities in Canada typically request applications for three semesters: the “fall” semester, which starts in September, the “winter” semester, which starts in January, and the “summer” semester, which starts in May.
According to a representative of a Kochi-based educational consultant, they have received hundreds of calls from students getting ready to travel for the session that starts in January during the previous two days. There is a tremendous lot of uncertainty right now. For the January intake, admissions have ended, and some students have already begun the visa application process. The official stated, “We can only wait and watch how this plays out.
However, Sakshi Mittal, the founder of the career counseling firm University Leap, said there was no need to be alarmed. “The majority of the students who were enrolled for the September intake have already left on flights. We have not yet detected any influence on those who are planning to move in January 2024; they are now in the process of applying for their visa. Students who are residing in Canada have been contacted, and everything seems to be well. However, it is natural that parents and kids would worry about safety if the turmoil continues, she said.
