Maple News reports that Canada is expected to process only 20,000 of the planned 38,000 visa applications from Indian nationals by the end of 2023, according to Immigration Minister Marc Miller. The reduced processing capacity follows a significant decline in operational staff at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offices in India, where only five immigration officers currently remain on the ground.
This development stems from the recent diplomatic fallout between Canada and India, which led to the expulsion of 41 Canadian diplomats, including numerous IRCC personnel. With fewer staff to perform in-country operations, application processing, visa printing, medical assessments oversight, and risk evaluations have all slowed significantly.
As a consequence, IRCC has temporarily suspended all in-person services at Canadian consulates in India. Despite these disruptions, Canada continues to accept applications from Indian residents, but applicants should expect prolonged processing timelines.
Visa processing delays will particularly impact international students, family class applicants, and Express Entry candidates. For context, IRCC’s service standards aim to process student visas within 60 days, family sponsorships within 12 months, and Express Entry applications within six months. Any deviation from these timelines results in application backlogs.
IRCC anticipates roughly 17,500 Indian applications will remain in backlog at the start of 2024. The department has reiterated that it aims to process 80% of all applications within posted service standards but acknowledges current challenges will temporarily hinder this goal.
To mitigate delays, 22 IRCC personnel formerly stationed in India have been reassigned to work remotely from Canada and the Philippines. Officials say these teams are being strategically deployed to maintain progress on Indian files.
Despite the present situation, the department is optimistic about returning to normal processing timelines for Indian applications by early 2024. Senior IRCC officials are actively working on long-term solutions to restore service efficiency and minimize applicant disruption.
Maple News will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates on processing timelines and immigration developments for Indian applicants.