Canada aims to clear visa backlog by 2022 end

Canada plans to cover its massive visa backlog of 2.7 million applications by the end of 2022. There has been a whopping 55% surge in visa applications, which added to the backlog.

According to Cameron MacKay, Canadian high commissioner to India, the country hopes to get back to normal processing times by the end of 2022. Canada which has more than 230,000 students from India enrolled in post-secondary institutions, has been prioritising student visas as the new university term is about to start soon.

Pointing out that Indians are top applicants in every category of Canadian visas, MacKay said: “We process roughly 10,000 visas a week for Indian nationals and that is not fast enough”.

While the majority of the world’s leading study nations are experiencing delays in the issuance of visas, agents and experts in student recruiting had recently noted that Canada is falling behind its competitors. Numerous excellent students have left the country as a result of the delay. Additionally, some students had to postpone their start dates.

Mackenzy Metcalfe, Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Association, says that the delays create a plethora of challenges for international students.

Metcalfe said that international students have to decide whether they take the risk and stay enrolled on the classes in the hope that IRCC will approve their visa or drop out of school before the add/drop date, indicating they would get their money back and reapply in the coming year which is a really difficult position for any student to be in.

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