Canada is planning to bring in new powers that will allow it to cancel a large number of visa applications from some countries like India and Bangladesh, according to reports.
This comes after the government in Ottawa said there are worries about fake or fraudulent visa files being submitted.
As per a report by Canada-based CBC News, the immigration department in Canada is working with border agencies and even US authorities to find and cancel such fake applications. The report said that they have already formed a team that will look into these cases and may start using these powers soon.
The move comes at a time when many Indians are facing problems getting visas, especially for studying in Canada. In August, almost three out of four Indian students were denied study permits. Officials said this is because checking all the documents and details takes longer now. Because of this, the number of approvals has gone down and the waiting period for applications has become longer.
A new bill to give this power to cancel visas has already been introduced in the Canadian parliament. The government said the law will help in special cases like pandemics or wars. But some reports say that it also talks about “country-specific visa holders,” which could mean that some nationalities might be affected more.
There has also been an increase in the number of Indians asking for asylum in Canada in the last year. The number went up from around 500 a month in mid-2023 to about 2,000 by July 2024. During the same time, the average visa processing time increased and the approvals went down.
Several rights groups and lawyers in Canada have said they are worried about this new plan. They fear that the government may misuse the rule and cancel applications in bulk. The government has not given any clear response yet on how it plans to use the new powers or whether it will impact Indians directly.
