Millions of Indian students dream of going overseas to pursue their higher education. And needless to say, Canada is one of the most sought-after destinations globally. From exceptional quality education to a multicultural environment, high employability rate, and smooth application process, multiple factors make this country a prime location for building your future.

As per many reports, Canada welcomed around 4,50,000 international students in the year 2021, with Indians making up for more than 50 percent of the total. And the numbers are only expected to double by the end of this year.

Are you immigration ready? Find out

However, a sudden increase in student visa applications as well as the pandemic-induced backlog has resulted in a delayed visa process. Usually, it takes about 4 weeks, but now the waiting time has increased to 3 to 4 months. There has also been an unprecedented rise in the refusal rates, which has further caused massive unrest and a sense of fear among Indian applicants.

While thousands are restlessly waiting for their applications to get accepted, many have already started their courses online. But the poor internet connectivity and time zone differences offer them no respite. The depleting mental health of students captured everyone’s attention when a 23-year-old student from Chhattisgarh committed suicide just a day before his visa arrived.

A stroke of bad luck indeed!

Addressing such issues, the High Commission of Canada assured that they very well understand the “frustration and disappointment” of Indian students and will continue to take up different measures for reducing 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”, the high commission 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”, it added.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa decided to take the matter in its own hands and informed the students, “Highlighting these issues and the fact that Indian students have already deposited tuition fees with the Canadian institutions we requested the Canadian authorities to expedite processing of visa applications for students from India”.

To further assist the students and bring clarity to the whole matter, the Indian embassy issued an advisory. It stated:

• Canadian universities are constantly communicating with international students who have enrolled in a course and are waiting for their visas to arrive. They are providing them with timely, actionable information about all the issues related to the study permit application process.
• They have already developed contingency plans for those incoming students who do not receive their study permit in time to be on campus for their semester that begins in September.
• Several institutions in Canada will also offer remote options to students unable to reach Canada due to delays in visas. For any assistance in this situation, the students can contact the universities directly to find out which courses have remote options, and what should be done if the course they prefer doesn’t have remote availability.
• For those who wish to defer their admission, the universities are suggesting the option of deferring to a later term or considering exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
• All the affected students have been encouraged to send a request for information and urgent processing through an IRCC web form meant for study permit applications that have been submitted but have exceeded the current processing time for the Student Direct Stream scheme (SDS).

Delhi-based Sumsh Manuja is one of the many students whose visa got delayed and had to defer it to a later semester. Manuja, who is 20 years old, expressed what every applicant goes through while waiting for their visas to arrive and how important it is to have a backup plan.

“Each individual who comes from a middle-class Indian family knows the burden of putting everything at stake to receive their golden ticket to study abroad. I got accepted at an esteemed university in Canada for a diploma course, and then the process for visa approval started. The fees had been paid and all the requirements were fulfilled, but my visa just wasn’t coming”.

He added, “I was in a complete dilemma. Before applying to Canada, I had already dropped one year to understand my interests, and this is why I wasn’t ready to waste another. I was struggling to choose between starting a new course here in India and hopelessly waiting for the visa to come. While at some point, I had begun to lose hope, my parents were very supportive throughout and asked me to stay positive”.

Manuja had enrolled for the September 2022 semester but then decided to defer it to January 2023. His visa finally arrived on 2nd September but instead of giving into the hassle of leaving immediately, he took the wise call of standing by for a few more months and preparing himself for the next semester.

Even while praying for quick visa approval, he didn’t let that hope cloud his vision. And since then from his own experience, he heavily emphasizes the importance of developing a contingency plan. “I knew I wasn’t alone. Thousands were and still are going through a similar or a situation much worse. Due to the fear of visa refusal, I decided to give the entrance exams of multiple universities in India and even got selected for them. This was the only way of securing a stable position, in case my visa got rejected. I also thought of completing my graduation here and then later applying for a post-graduation course in Canada. But thankfully, destiny was in my favor.”

He requests his fellow applicants to tightly hold onto their decision and also prepare for the unforeseen. “I know it’s a lot to handle – looking for a university abroad, clearing the entrance, arranging the finances, and then waiting for the visa to come. But make sure to have a contingency plan because you wouldn’t want to put your career in jeopardy.” He firmly believes, “It all happens for a reason. Just trust your gut instincts and don’t ever lose hope!”

Clearly, the governments of both countries are trying their best to resolve immigration issues and speed up the entire process. At the same time, proper assistance is being offered at every step to the students who are eagerly waiting for their visas to arrive. You can make sure that nothing goes unattended at your end and frequently contact the authorities to stay updated on the revised guidelines.

ET Online
Source