India to resume some visa services in Canada as of this week

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Canada and India are taking steps to mend diplomatic relations as the Indian high commission in Canada announces the resumption of certain visa processing services in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.

This decision comes after a month of suspended services for Canadian citizens worldwide.

The High Commission of India has confirmed that it will be processing a select range of visas, specifically those falling into the following categories:

Entry visa
Business visa
Medical visa
Conference visa

According to a press release from the high commission, the aforementioned visa service categories will resume as of Thursday, October 26.

However, the status of tourist, student, and journalist visas remains uncertain.

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The tension between the two nations escalated last month when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned potential links between the Indian government and the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader in BC. In response, India temporarily halted visa services, citing concerns about the safety of its diplomats in Canada.

This development is an encouraging sign that diplomatic ties between Canada and India may be on the path to normalization. Despite the recent diplomatic strain, both nations appear to be working toward finding common ground.

It is worth noting that the high commission’s statement does not explicitly mention whether these resumed visa services will be extended to Canadians in other parts of the world. This leaves open the question of whether Indian missions worldwide will also process these specific types of visas for Canadian citizens.

These diplomatic developments follow a period of heightened tensions, during which India denounced protests by Sikh separatist groups outside its diplomatic missions in Canada. Additionally, posters appeared to offer cash rewards for the home addresses of Indian diplomats in Canada. India formally called on Canada to better uphold its duty to protect foreign diplomats.

While the situation is far from completely resolved, the resumption of specific visa services is a positive step toward normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The extent to which these services will be extended to Canadians around the world remains to be clarified, and further discussions may help address the underlying issues that led to the suspension of visa services in the first place.