Canada Introduces New Visa Rules; Indian Students, Workers and Tourists To Be Affected

With effect from February 2025, the Canadian government has implemented new visa rules that provide border officers the power to change or cancel overseas workers’, students’, and migrants’ visa statuses as needed.

An Outline Of The Recently Implemented New Visa Rules

Canadian border officials now have the authority to reject or cancel temporary resident documents, such as electronic travel authorisations (eTAs) and temporary resident visas (TRVs), in accordance with the amended Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

This includes student visas and work permits. According to an official statement from the Government of Canada, an officer has the power to deny entry or cancel a permit even if the person is already in the country if they are not certain that they will leave when their authorised stay is up.

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Implications For Citizens Of India

For many foreign workers and students, including Indian nationals, who make up a sizeable component of this population, these developments bring some degree of anxiety. According to government figures, more than 420,000 Indian students are presently studying in Canada. According to the new regulations, a worker or student who has their permission revoked will be given notice to depart Canada by a given date.

Temporary permit holders are likewise subject to the rules. Over 360,000 Indian visitors received travel visas from Canada in the first half of 2024. According to the Canadian government, those affected by these changes will be notified by email and through their Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) account.

In a related move, the Canadian government declared in November 2024 that the Student Direct Stream (SDS) immigration scheme will no longer be offered. In the past, this program provided a simplified procedure for international students from particular nations, such as India, to acquire study visas. According to the Canadian government, the decision to terminate the SDS program was made in order to solve housing and resource-related issues.

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With the goal of ensuring that temporary residents adhere to their approved stay periods, these policy changes represent Canada’s changing approach to immigration and border control.

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