How does India's visa office suspension affect Canadian travellers?
CTV
The suspension of Indian visa services for Canadians this week has prompted uncertainty among many who had hoped to travel to India in the near future. Here's what the visa centre closure could mean for India's sizable diaspora community in Canada, which is now caught in the middle of rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The suspension of Indian visa services for Canadians this week has prompted uncertainty among many who had hoped to travel to India in the near future.
The news came Thursday as India's visa processing centre in Canada halted services for Canadian citizens, with India saying it anticipates Ottawa will reduce its diplomatic presence in the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament earlier in the week there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the June killing of Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 Sept. Indian visa services have been suspended [until] further notice," stated the BLS Indian Visa Application Center in Canada on its website.
Here's what the visa centre closure could mean for India's sizable diaspora community in Canada, which is now caught in the middle of rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
With offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Brampton, Ont., Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Surrey, B.C., BLS is the agency that processes visa requests for India, including for entry, tourist, student and employment visas.
Its services are divided into three main categories: passports, temporary visas and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards. Those eligible for OCI cards are persons of Indian origin who formerly held an Indian passport, along with their children and spouses.
It's essentially a "lifetime visa for India," the office states online. Cardholders are "granted multiple entry, multi-purpose, lifelong visa for visiting" the country.
