Delays in the processing of student visas have put a large number of international students are at risk of missing the start of fall classes this year as the federal Immigration Department struggles to keep up with what it describes as a surge in applications. The issue has prompted a complaint from the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, which said in a statement that it has received a number of reports from Indian students frustrated by long wait times for visa processing. India is Canada’s largest source country for international post-secondary students. Students from outside Canada pay tuition fees that are often more than two or three times higher than domestic students, and this money has become a critical source of funding for universities and colleges across the country. In India and Canada’s international student recruitment machine, opportunity turns to grief and exploitation According to the Immigration Department, the number of student visa applications is increasing. Canada received more than 123,000 student visa applications from India in the first five months of this year, a 55 percent increase over 2019, according to Aidan Strickland, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Sean Fraser. So far this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has processed more than 360,000 student visas, a 17 percent increase over the same period in 2021. Students apply for study permits only after they have been accepted to Canadian universities. Until their visa applications are processed, they are not allowed to enter Canada to study – even if they have already paid tuition or taken out student loans. Ms. Strickland added in a statement that IRCC is still grappling with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations around the world. He said the government was prioritizing applications from students aiming to start their studies in September, but that not all applications would be processed in time for autumn 2022. “IRCC has seen an unprecedented volume of applications received for both initial study permits and extensions in 2022, not only from citizens of India but globally,” Ms Strickland said. The number of students affected is unclear, but Canada’s diplomatic mission in India said in a tweet last week that a “large number” had experienced long wait times or no visa decisions. Federal data show that, as of the end of July, 34 percent of pending international student visa applications were taking longer to process than government standards dictate. Indian students contribute more than $4 billion in tuition to Canada’s post-secondary system, according to a statement by the Indian High Commission. More than 230,000 Indian students are enrolled in Canadian schools, the statement said. At the University of Toronto, the number of students contacting registrars with concerns about study leave is higher than usual, the university said in a statement. The university said it is in constant contact with IRCC and the Minister’s office directly, to support the timely processing of study permit applications and to explain the impact of delays on students. The statement added that all students unable to enter the country due to the delays can apply for a deferment if they are eligible. Gautham Kolluri, an international-student recruiter and immigration consultant based in Waterloo, Ont., said the number of students affected is likely in the thousands. He said these are students who have accepted positions offered to them at universities or colleges in Canada and are expected to have their student visas approved in a few weeks. Instead, the process takes months. One client of his waited six months to get a study permit, he said. Mr Kolluri said he advises some clients that they are unlikely to get approval from IRCC before starting classes. At that point, he said, he recommends they hold off until the next available hire, which could mean a delay until January or in some cases until next September. “They are devastated. For them, their studies are affected, but also their future career and opportunities in Canada,” said Mr. Kolluri. “We are losing such good students who could contribute to Canada.” Most students in India take education loans in their home countries before coming to Canada. Mr Kollouri said interest on these loans starts to accumulate even if students have not managed to start their studies, adding to the pressure they feel if there are problems with their study permits. Before the pandemic, he said, visa approvals often took two to three weeks and in some cases 48 hours. Now, the IRCC website says it takes up to 12 weeks on average to approve an application for a study permit from India. The goal is eight weeks, according to the department. Ms Strickland said Mr Fraser has announced he expects to hire an extra 1,250 officers by the end of the autumn to deal with application backlogs and processing delays, paid for in part by $85 million in additional funds going to the department in government budget in 2021. modernize.
