Canada: Processing Delays Expected Due to Reduced Staff in India
October 20, 2023
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At a Glance
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it has significantly reduced the number of its employees in India and relocated these staff to offices in Manila and Canada.
- As a result, IRCC has temporarily suspended all in-person services at regional consulates in India.
- Though IRCC will continue to accept and process all temporary and permanent residence applications from India, foreign nationals from India and their employers should expect delays in immigration application processing times, interviews (when required), responses to inquiries, and returns of their visas or passports over the next few months.
The situation
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it has significantly reduced the number of its employees in India and has temporarily suspended all in-person services at consulates in Bengaluru, Chandigarh, and Mumbai.
A closer look
The remaining IRCC staff in India will be focusing on applications requiring urgent processing and visa stamping out of the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. Other in-person consular services may be available at the High Commission in New Delhi on a limited basis.
Impact
IRCC has announced it will continue to accept and process all temporary and permanent residence applications from India. Applications that would otherwise be processed in India will be distributed among IRCC’s global network outside India. However, foreign nationals from India and their employers should expect delays in immigration application processing times, responses to inquiries and returns of their visa or passports over the next few months. As applications will also be distributed throughout IRCC’s global network, this could also cause some delays in overall processing.
IRCC has confirmed that applications that are processed under “Two-week processing” and under the H-1B visa work permit category will not be impacted by these changes.
Background
According to the government, the measure follows India's intent to remove immunities for most Canadian diplomats and their dependents. In September 2023, Indian consular posts in Canada suspended visa services until further notice.
Looking ahead
Canadians and permanent residents of Canada in need of consular assistance in India can contact the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi.
IRCC has stated that it expects to return to normal processing by early 2024. Fragomen Canada is contacting affected clients and tracking related developments closely. We will report on further relevant updates once available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
