India Resumes Visa Services for Canadians in Specific Categories

New Delhi: India is set to reinstate visa services for specific categories of Canadian citizens, including Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa, and Conference Visa. This decision follows a recent suspension of visa services amid strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada.

The Indian High Commission of India in Canada, in a notification released on Wednesday, announced the resumption of visa services. The move comes into effect on Thursday, October 26, 2023.

This development is a result of a comprehensive security review, taking recent Canadian measures into account.

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed the desire to resume visa issuance if Indian diplomats in Canada are provided safety in accordance with the Vienna Convention. Visa services had been temporarily halted due to concerns about the safety of Indian diplomats in Canada, preventing them from fulfilling their responsibilities in visa processing.

The suspension of new visa issuance for Canadians was implemented in September following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statements regarding “credible” allegations of potential involvement of Indian government agents in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.