It has added more money and resources to clear the massive backlog of visa applications at the earliest, said Cameron MacKay, High Commissioner for Canada in India here recently
NEW DELHI: The Canadian government is trying its utmost to provide Indian students with visas on time so that they can proceed for their studies to Canada.
It has added more money and resources to clear the massive backlog of visa applications at the earliest, said Cameron MacKay, High Commissioner for Canada in India here recently.
MacKay was quoted by The Hindu saying that “it is the case unfortunately that we have a post-Covid pandemic backlog of visas in every category of visa. It is a very serious backlog. The government is dedicated to getting through that backlog as quickly as possible.
“We are investing more money and more people to get through it. Particularly this summer, we are making every effort to ensure that every young Indian planning to study in Canada will get their student visas on time. We are doing everything we can to achieve that”.
The High Commissioner said Indians were at the top of every visa category to Canada ranging from student, temporary residence, permanent residence and tourists.
He said Canada was renegotiating its air services agreement with India and hoped to have more direct flights soon. Currently, there were 25 direct flights between India and Canada every week, he said.
The High Commissioner also mentioned that India and Canada had a $100 billion commercial relationship led by $70 billion in terms of Canadian portfolio investment and prominent private sector investors who were heavily invested in infrastructure, hotel chains and renewable energy in India.
He said Canada was renegotiating its air services agreement with India and hoped to have more direct flights soon. Currently, there were 25 direct flights between India and Canada every week, he said.
“Two G-20 countries (India and Canada) with the size of our economies should have a larger economic relationship. It is an underperforming relationship and we would like to change that through a trade and investment treaty,” the High Commissioner said.
He also pointed out that there were barriers to Canadian businesses doing business in India and “those are exactly the issues we are trying to address in the agreement…negotiations on tariffs and non-tariff barriers, investment and investment protection, trade and services etc. There are lots of opportunities to open up the economy on both sides,” he said.
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