VFS Global Clarifies That Canada Visa Application Centres Will Remain Open

Hours after Canada announced that it would be withdrawing 41 of its diplomats from India, visa services provider VFS Global clarified that its Canada-centric visa application centres will remain open in 10 Indian cities.

It is important to note that Canada has temporarily suspended visa and in-person consular services in Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Mumbai. The services will only be available at the Canadian High Commission in Delhi. India had suspended visa processing in Canada about a month ago.

VFS Global Clarifies

VFS Global issued a statement on October 20, confirming that their Canada visa application centres, under the guidance of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), will remain fully functional across the following Indian cities: New Delhi, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune.

“Please note that our Canada visa application centres across 10 Indian cities continue to operate normally, as instructed by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC),” VFS Global said in a statement issued.

IRCC Clarifies

The Canadian immigration body, however, clarified that the large majority of applications from India are already processed outside the country, with “89 per cent of India’s applications processed through the global network”.

The five Canada-based IRCC staff who remain in India will focus on work that requires an in-country presence such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment and overseeing key partners, it further said.

Impact on Visa Processing

The reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in India is likely to have an impact on visa processing time, IRCC has acknowledged. However, the Canadian immigration body has assured that it will continue to accept and process applications from India.

Diplomatic Row

The diplomatic row between India and Canada was triggered last month after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a “potential link” to Indian officials in Canada in connection to the murder of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Indian government has denied the charge.

Conclusion

VFS Global’s clarification comes as a relief to many Indians planning to travel to Canada. However, it is important to note that the reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence in India is likely to have an impact on visa processing time.

Applicants are advised to check the latest travel advice from both governments before travelling.