Canada’s vacationer visa success fee for Indian candidates has seen a dramatic decline in current months, dropping sharply from 80 per cent to round 20 per cent and even decrease notably for aspirants from Punjab. This has raised considerations amongst potential vacationers, who are actually going through heightened uncertainty and surprising hurdles. The development, already noticeable over the previous few months, has been compounded by Canada’s current determination to discontinue the automated 10-year multiple-entry vacationer visa for eligible candidates. This coverage shift is predicted to additional influence frequent vacationers, creating extra limitations for many who beforehand relied on the comfort and predictability of long-term visas.
The decline in approvals, coupled with the top of the automated 10-year visa, highlights a major tightening of Canada’s immigration insurance policies, leaving many Indian candidates in a bind and elevating questions on the way forward for vacationer journey to the nation.
What was the vacationer visa success fee to Canada from India notably from Punjab?
Regardless of strained Indo-Canada relations over the previous yr, the primary half of 2024 appeared promising for Indian vacationer visa candidates. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 365,750 customer visas to Indians between January and July—a notable enhance from the 345,631 issued throughout the identical interval in 2023.
Nevertheless, this upward development got here to a pointy halt in July- August when the success fee for Indian vacationer visa purposes dropped considerably.
Stricter standards have left even high-profile candidates—together with well-paid professionals, authorities officers, and households with substantial property—going through rejections for monetary causes, regardless of having robust monetary help methods in India. “A pair working in a financial institution needed to go to their everlasting resident (PR) son in Canada, however they have been rejected on monetary grounds, regardless of having excessive salaries and precious property in India,” mentioned Gurpreet Singh, an knowledgeable in Canadian immigration.
Singh added that the choice standards for vacationer visas have turn out to be more and more unpredictable, with even former U.S. inexperienced card holders being rejected. He famous that the success fee has dropped drastically from 80 per cent in early 2024 to lower than 20% now, with candidates experiencing rejections even after ready as much as 4 months. “The explanations for rejections are sometimes obscure, with robust profiles all of a sudden deemed inadequate,” Singh defined.
He mentioned that earlier 8 out of 10 candidates from Punjab have been getting this visa however now he had lodged the file of 25 individuals for vacationer visa 4 months again and now the outcomes of 10 got here and solely the one particular person obtained the visa out of 10.
Would the current finish of the 10-year multiple-entry visa coverage influence vacationer sisa success charges additional?
Consultants consider the top of Canada’s automated 10-year multiple-entry vacationer visa will undoubtedly influence approval charges. Beforehand, this visa possibility was a preferred alternative amongst Indian candidates, notably for these with robust monetary backgrounds, stable journey histories, and household ties in Canada. These visas have been issued extra readily beneath a comparatively easy course of.
Now, the issuance of such visas is left to the discretion of immigration officers, making approvals way more selective. Frequent vacationers, who as soon as relied on the comfort of a 10-year visa, will now need to reapply for a vacationer visa every time they want to go to Canada. This shift is more likely to additional complicate the method for a lot of.
The sudden decline in approval charges has already positioned Indian college students and professionals in a difficult place. Earlier this yr, the 10-year visa was typically seen instead for these unable to safe pupil visas or different long-term permits. With its discontinuation and the plummeting success charges for vacationer visas, these people now face restricted and fewer predictable entry choices.
What are the elements behind the decline in vacationer visa success charges in current months?
Consultants observed a number of elements contributing to the sharp decline in vacationer visa success charges for Indian candidates.
Allegations of Border Misuse: There was an increase in instances the place guests, notably from India, reportedly use Canada as a transit level to cross into america. Canada’s customer visas have been perceived as simpler to acquire, making them a stepping stone for unlawful border crossings. Based on the U.S. Customs and Border Safety (CBP), over 5,000 Indians crossed from Canada into the U.S. on foot with out correct documentation in June 2024 alone. As each international locations shares 1000s of kilometres open border. These incidents have led Canada to undertake a extra cautious method to granting long-term vacationer visas, notably to candidates from high-volume international locations like India.
Coverage on Lowering Momentary Residents:
Canada has been tightening its insurance policies to restrict the variety of momentary residents. Issues have emerged that many guests with 10-year visas overstay or work illegally, prompting immigration authorities to use stricter scrutiny to new candidates.
Processing Delays and Backlogs: Delays in visa processing and a rising backlog resulting from numerous visa purposes have additionally performed a job. Because the processing occasions enhance, immigration officers look like making use of extra stringent standards, resulting in slower approvals and a better rejection fee for these ready months for choices.
Strained Diplomatic Relations with India:
Political tensions between India and Canada, particularly after allegations involving India in a high-profile assassination case in Canada, have impacted varied areas of bilateral relations. Whereas not formally linked to immigration insurance policies, consultants consider these tensions could also be influencing Canada’s cautious method towards issuing long-term visas to Indian candidates.
These mixed elements have created an atmosphere the place vacationer visa purposes are being rejected at unprecedented charges, leaving even robust candidates struggling to safe approvals, mentioned consultants.
