BJP Lok Sabha member Gopal Shetty on Tuesday urged the government to take up the issue of pending visa applications, particularly of students, with embassies of foreign countries.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Shetty said several students, who had returned to India during the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war, were finding it difficult to get visas to pursue studies abroad.
“Several students have paid Rs 10-15 lakh as fees and are finding it difficult to get visas as several embassies are still closed. The problem is particularly acute with Canada where more than one lakh visa applications are pending,” Shetty said.
He said cultural troupes from Gujarat were finding it difficult to get visas for performances in the US.
Shetty, a member from Mumbai North, urged the government to take up the issue with respective countries and also issue a clarification to the effect as the problem was with the embassies and not with the External Affairs Ministry.
