Canada’s Massive Visa Cancellation Drive May Impact Thousands of Indian Applicants: Report

Inside Canada’s Reported Visa Cancellation Push That Could Affect Indian Applicants.

Canadian authorities are reportedly moving toward gaining powers to cancel groups of visas — a measure that could disproportionately affect applicants from India and Bangladesh, according to a CBC News report citing internal government documents.

Mass Visa Cancellations Under Review
The report said Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and their US counterparts have formed a working group to identify and cancel fraudulent visitor visa applications. The effort reportedly targets applicants from India and Bangladesh, flagged for “country-specific challenges.”

The plan, outlined in a departmental presentation to the immigration minister’s office, seeks new powers allowing officials to refuse or revoke multiple visas under certain circumstances — including pandemics, wars, or country-specific issues.

While Immigration Minister Lena Diab has publicly mentioned the need for such emergency powers in the context of war or pandemics, she has not addressed their potential use for “country-specific visa holders.”

A bill to authorise these mass-cancellation powers has been introduced in the Canadian Parliament, with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government aiming to pass it swiftly, according to the report.

Concerns Over Civil Liberties and Deportations
The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from over 300 civil society groups, who have warned that the legislation could enable “mass deportations” or arbitrary cancellations. Immigration lawyers also told CBC that the move could be an attempt to ease Canada’s growing backlog of visa applications.

Why India Has Been Singled Out
The documents reportedly show that asylum claims from Indian nationals rose sharply — from under 500 a month in May 2023 to about 2,000 by July 2024. This surge has placed pressure on Canada’s visa processing system, leading to longer wait times and declining approval rates.

By mid-2024, processing times for temporary resident visas from India had increased from 30 days to 54 days. Visa approvals dropped from more than 63,000 in January 2024 to about 48,000 by June as more resources were diverted toward verification.

Officials also flagged a rise in Indian travellers denied boarding or referred for further checks. As of July 31, 2024, 1,873 Indian applicants had been issued procedural fairness letters outlining their rights and options for legal recourse.

Impact on Students and Travellers
India has long been Canada’s largest source of international students, but rejection rates have soared. In August 2024, Canada denied roughly 74 per cent of Indian study permit applications — nearly three out of every four.

The reported visa cancellation plan comes amid heightened tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi, adding to concerns that legitimate Indian travellers and students could be caught in a broader immigration crackdown.

Civil society organisations and immigration experts have urged the Canadian government to clarify the intent and scope of the proposed powers, warning that they could undermine transparency and fairness in Canada’s immigration system.