Canada Mass Visa Cancellation Plan Alarms Indian Applicants

Toronto – Canada is reportedly planning to introduce legislation that would allow authorities to cancel groups of visas at once — a move that has sparked alarm among civil rights organisations and visa applicants, especially from India.

According to internal government documents, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and their US counterparts have formed a working group to identify and cancel fraudulent visa applications, particularly from India and Bangladesh.

The plan seeks to grant “mass cancellation” powers to immigration officials in cases involving pandemics, wars, or country-specific challenges. However, critics fear the provision could be misused to target specific nationalities.

Over 300 civil society groups have opposed the move, warning that it could lead to a “mass deportation machine” and undermine due process. Immigration lawyers also suggest the government’s intent may be to reduce its growing visa backlog rather than solely tackle fraud.

The proposed legislation comes at a time when Canada’s rejection rate for Indian study permit applications has soared. In August alone, about 74 percent of Indian student visa applications were denied — nearly three out of every four applicants.

India has been Canada’s largest source of international students for over a decade, but the relationship between the two nations has become strained following Ottawa’s recent policy shifts. The processing time for Indian temporary resident visas has also doubled, rising from 30 days in mid-2023 to 54 days by mid-2024.

Government data further revealed that asylum claims from Indian nationals surged from under 500 a month in May 2023 to nearly 2,000 by July 2024. In response, Canadian authorities have increased document verification and scrutiny, leading to more refusals and delays.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has tabled the bill in Parliament and is pushing for swift approval. Immigration Minister Lena Diab has defended the proposal, saying such powers are necessary for crisis situations like pandemics or conflicts — though she has not addressed concerns about country-specific targeting.

As debates continue in Ottawa, many Indian students and visa hopefuls are watching anxiously, fearing that the new law could jeopardize their dreams of studying or working in Canada.