Canadian visa services in India will encounter challenges following the departure of 41 diplomats, as stated by Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on Thursday (Oct 19).
Regrettably, this significant expulsion will have an impact on our operations, and it will affect client service,” she expressed.
This action to expel diplomats followed New Delhi’s directive for Ottawa to reduce its substantial diplomatic presence in India from 62 to 21 and issued a warning to revoke their diplomatic immunity.
We will now have to temporarily suspend all in-person services at Consulates until further notice,” Joly declared. These consulates are located in Chandigarh, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.
As reported in the media, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, will remain operational and continue to accept visa applications from India. However, services requiring on-site verification and approval within a secure environment might face delays.
“As a consequence, the reduction in the size of the IRCC team will impact service standards for Indian residents,” Joly stated.
Under the new arrangement, only five IRCC personnel will remain in India to handle urgent matters, including key clients, risk assessment, visa issuance, and conducting immigration medical examinations.
The remaining workload will be managed by IRCC’s global processing network.
Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marc Miller also mentioned that the removal of diplomats will have both short and medium-term consequences.
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