Working to reduce wait time for visas, says Canadian High Commission

The Canadian High Commission on Thursday assured Indian citizens that it is working to reduce the long waiting time for visas as a large number of Indians continue to face the problem.

The HC said that it understands their "frustration and disappointment."

The Commission, in a series of tweets on Thursday, informed that thousands of Indian students were receiving their visas every week and that it would continue to make every effort to reduce the wait time.


"We understand your frustration and disappointment and want to assure you that we are working to improve the situation. In fact, we have been processing applications throughout the year, including study permits for the September 2022 intake," it said.

"Many thousands of students in India are receiving their visas each week. We will continue to make every effort to reduce wait times against an unprecedented volume of applications received," the mission said.


It said the current processing time for study permit applications globally is 12 weeks.

"While processing times in India have been higher in 2022, we are making every effort to reduce wait times in our services globally," the High Commission said.

"We urge students who are still waiting the outcome of their visa applications at this stage to contact their Designated Learning Institution in Canada to discuss options should they be unable to arrive in time for the start of classes," it said.

The delay has raised concerns among parents and students on whether the Indian students will be able to join colleges in Canada in time when the academic session starts next month.

“My younger brother has his departure scheduled next week and is yet to get the visa. His university has given him a leeway of one month, else he will have to wait another year. This delay is most unfortunate,” reported TOI citing a harried family member of one such student still awaiting the visa.

Canada is one of the popular destinations for Indian students.

“Canada has seen a spike in the number of study permit applications this year. In the first five months of 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) received about 1,23,500 study permit applications from Indian residents or 55% more than during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic,” TOI quoted a Canadian HC spokesperson as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)