Indian visas for Canadians are still suspended in 9 categories
India continues to restrict Canadian nationals from visiting the country in at least nine categories, the Hindustan Times reported. Following a visa suspension on September 21 due to rising diplomatic tensions between the two nations, India resumed visa services for entry, business, medical, and conference reasons last week. However, visas for visitors, employment, students, film shoots, missionaries, and journalists are still on hold due to the security situation, according to the High Commission of India in Ottawa.
Why does this story matter?
India-Canada relations have been strained for quite some time due to the latter's alleged leniency toward Khalistan supporters. Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of plotting the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, making matters worse. After a few days, India canceled new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic representation. Forty-one Canadian diplomats departed India last week.
Visas resumed in 4 categories
India's High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, confirmed that only the four visa categories have been reinstated, as mentioned in the press release. Earlier, he had said that it was "constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations." The statement also mentioned that "further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation."
E-visas remain unavailable for Canadians
Although e-visas are accessible for 165 countries, Canada is not among them. E-visas for Canadians were only restored in December last year after being halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the visa issuance was indefinitely suspended again on September 21. It came in response to Trudeau's claim of a possible connection between India and Nijjar's assassination in Surrey, British Columbia in June.
Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada
India later asked Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence to attain parity. Both countries now have 21 diplomats in each other's countries after Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats. India had announced that their diplomatic immunity would be revoked on October 20. After the mass exit, Trudeau accused India of breaking international law and stated that the threat of revocation of diplomatic immunity "is something that all countries in the world should be very worried about."
