While parents of Indian students in Canada are worried about their children’s safety in the foreign country, students present there say that the locals are ‘as sweet as before; meanwhile, study abroad experts are advising future candidates to skip summer intake.
The diplomatic spat between India and Canada took a concerning turn when India on Thursday “suspended its visa service till further notice”. The students who are scheduled to fly to Canada on student visas are now worried whether or not they will be granted entry to Canada.
Does the recent situation affect visa issuance?
As of now, India has suspended its visa services in Canada till further notice, but the same has not been announced by Canada. This means that student visas will be issued as per the existing rules and regulations, and as of now, no delay has been reported in the issuance of student visas to Indian students.
It also means that the Indian students who are already in Canada or have already obtained a study visa for Canada will not be affected by the recent escalation of diplomatic row.
Students in Canada hardly had to face any difficulty
The situation in Canada has not changed for Indian students, several students and experts have told thedailychakra.com. Indian students who have been there for the past few weeks or years have said that they have not had to face any difficulty in the foreign country, even after the situation worsened on the diplomatic front.
“There are lakhs of Indian students who are pursuing their education here and the locals cooperate nicely with us. They understand that we left our homes to come and study here, and they make us feel at home. While there is some tension and murmurs about what will happen if the situation worsens between the two governments, we are all still following our daily routine,” said Khushpal Grewal, a member of the Montreal Youth Students Organisation (MYSO) based in Canada.
Karan (name changed on request), a Computer Engineering student, told indianexpress.com that there has been no change around him and locals have been as sweet as they had been before this issue. “While I’ve heard about the possibility of riots taking place in big cities like Toronto, there hasn’t been any change here in Waterloo as of yet,” he added.
Study abroad experts, too, believe that Indian students in Canada should not be worried by this situation as those travelling to Canada in the next few days or those in the country already have a valid visa.
