Worsening ties with Canada worries Indian students and parents

With the India-Canada diplomatic ties worsening by the day, prospective students as well as those Indians who are already in Canada to pursue education are bearing the brunt. 

As per a report by The Times of India, more than 10,000 students head to Canada from India every year. However, several students are stressed to take the call now due to the latest development based on the allegations related to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"The fee payment window is closing soon, but I decided to give it a miss. The current scenario is not very conducive. We have seen how Indian medical students in Ukraine were affected after Russia launched a military assault. Of course, both scenarios are different, but I am prepared to wait for six months,” a student from Ahmedabad told TOI as he deferred his admission from the December-January intake to the next cycle. 

“I am worried that the tension between the two countries could hamper my visa prospects. I have also contacted an immigration consultant to gather more information on any sort of changes in the process of granting study visas,” Simranpreet Kaur of Mand village in Jalandhar told Hindustan Times. She had applied for a study visa to enroll in a Brampton-based college in the January intake.

Another engineering student from Gujarat who is currently in Toronto told TOI that even though there had not been any problem so far, in case Canada changes its visa rules, it can have several implications on the Indian students. He also added that students had been holding informal meetings to “comprehend the impact of the diplomatic tension on travel and stay” as they hope for the issue to get resolved soon.

"There is a lot of apprehension and confusion among Indian students regarding the recent diplomatic strain between India and Canada, but it is less likely to impact them. The fall intake admissions are already over in Canadian universities and students have settled into comfortable routines. The next round of intake will be in December-January. By then, one hopes that the situation will get better,” an Ahmedabad-based foreign education consultant told TOI. 

It must be noted that Canada is among the top choices for Punjabi youngsters owing to its education policy, employment opportunities and post-graduation immigration possibilities due to the existing Punjabi population there. 

HT report also highlighted that 3.19 lakh Indian students had been living and studying in Canada as of December 31, 2022.

While some parents believe that there was no reason to worry some remain concerned about the security of their children. 

“The children have got their Canadian study visas on genuine documents, therefore, there are no worries about their future. The only issue is the security of Indian students as there are apprehensions of increasing hate crime among Indian students in the coming days,” Ranjit Singh, a resident from Jalandhar who is in Canada to visit his son, told HT. 

Along with the tension over the visa, there has been been a lot of anxiety among the students and parents over the growing tensions between the two countries. 

“Reports of strained ties between both countries have surely created anxiety in terms of her future. However, I don’t think there is any safety issue,” Amritsar-based Monika Rani, whose daughter just moved to Canada to study, told HT.  

“Due to the time difference between Canada and India, I have been unable to speak to my son about the developments,” added another parent. 

Suggesting that universities send Indian students back to their home countries, a Mohali resident whose daughter is studying in a Vancouver university said, “We as parents are very concerned about our child. The Canadian universities should send back all Indian students and they should be allowed to continue their studies through online mode until the situation improves.”

Shedding light on the high expenditure incurred to send their children abroad to study, a parent from Bhatinda told HT that they had estimated an expenditure of ₹18-22 lakh for sending their children to study in Canada. However, they fear that any restrictions may jeopardise their children’s academic years. 

CEO of global immigration and education consultant agency ‘Kaur Immigration Services’, Rachhpal Singh Sosan, told the publication that there have been no issues while submitting forms so far. 

“The students are worried and are calling to us to know about the situation. Our clients got three visas today. Files submission process is facing no issues. In future, processing of visa applications may be delayed but it is not expected to be halted," he said, adding, “Students are rushing to our offices for submission of file apprehending that Canada may stop issuing visas to Indian students”.

Urging parents to stay calm, immigration expert and Sector 17 Education Abroad owner Jatin Wadhwa said that most of the students who would be going to Canada in the September intake had already received their visas as he assured them of a hassle-free process. 

While some believe that the current tension is forcing Indians to explore other countries like the UK and Australia as options, it must be noted that in 2021, 35 per cent of the foreign students who went to Canada were Indians and of the 6.17 lakh study visas granted by Canada, 2.17 were to Indian students (many of whom were Punjabis), according to HT.