Canada's new visa rules to impact Indian students, workers gravely

It will also have adverse effects on those who apply for work and resident permits.

The new rules, effective from the beginning of February, provide unhindered powers to Canadian border officials to alter the visa status of students, workers, and migrants at any time should they deem such action necessary.

Under the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Canadian border officials have been equipped with the power to deny or reject temporary resident documents such as electronic travel authorisations or eTAs and temporary resident visas or TRVs.

This means that border officials can now cancel such documents, which include work permits and student visas.

However, some guidelines need to be met for them as well to reject permits and visas.

This includes one which states that if an officer is not convinced that the individual will leave Canada upon the expiration of their authorised stay, they can reject their entry or cancel their permit even during their stay in Canada.

The discretionary power to make such a judgment is entirely vested in the officer.

These new rules and regulations have a scope of uncertainty and bear the potential of impacting tens of thousands of international students and workers - of which Indians are the largest group of foreign nationals in either category.

Canada is among the most preferred destinations for Indian students, workers, and legal migrants.

Students alone, currently pursuing their higher education in Canada, account for more than 4.2 lakh Indian nationals as per government data.