The restrictions announced on September 21 do not affect those that have Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards, the ministry of external affairs has made clear
The suspension of visas to Canadian citizens by the Indian government has upset the plans of Punjab-based non-resident Indians (NRI), several of whom had planned to return to their ancestral homes in the state over the harsh Canadian winter, reported Hindustan Times.
The report pointed out the example of Amarjit Kaur, a Canadian passport holder based in Brampton, who had planned to attend the marriage of her niece in December. “I was going to visit my brother after six years but Thursday’s (September 21) developments have put these plans on hold. We already booked air tickets for December 15, and were going to apply for an Indian visa in October,” she said.
“I received a dozen calls from Canadian NRI’s, worried about their reservations. The tourism and hotel industry will be impacted because they usually come in large numbers during the winters and the wedding season. At least two clients have asked me to cancel all reservations because their guests were meant to come from Canada.”
— Inderpal Singh, Immigration consultant
The restrictions announced on September 21 do not affect those that have Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards, the ministry of external affairs has made clear. But Sandeep Singh, who lives in Surrey, and had migrated from Dholan village said that he was to celebrate his son’s first Lohri in Punjab with family and friends. “We have our OCI cards but were to apply for an Indian visa for our son. We will have to wait and watch now.”
Sukhdeep Singh (39), based out of Surrey and originally from Barnala, said that as usual his elderly relatives hoped to escape the Canadian winter and travel to India in the coming months. “Many old people choose to do this on an annual basis. But this development have left them in limbo.”
Immigration consultant Inderpal Singh, who also owns a hotel in Jalandhar, said he received a dozen calls from Canadian NRI’s, worried about their reservations. “The tourism and hotel industry will be impacted because they usually come in large numbers during the winters and the wedding season. At least two clients have asked me to cancel all reservations because their guests were meant to come from Canada,” Singh said to Hindustan Times.
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