Canada mulls large-scale cancellation of temporary visas for Indians

The Canadian government is considering granting its immigration department new powers to cancel temporary visas on a large scale, which would target applicants from India and Bangladesh, according to a report by CBC News.

Internal documents reviewed by CBC News reveal that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are seeking authority to revoke temporary resident visas (TRVs) collectively — instead of handling such matters case by case — if significant evidence of misuse or fraud is detected.

The report said the proposal would allow Canada to "cancel, on a group basis", visas issued under specific circumstances, such as in the event of fraud, war, or a health crisis, giving the immigration minister the legal power to act swiftly.

The Canadian entities and US partners formed a working group looking to beef up authorities to refuse and cancel visas.

While the draft law does not explicitly single out any country, India and Bangladesh are identified in the internal presentation as "country-specific challenges", according to the CBS News report.

According to the report, the discussions have taken place amid a surge in asylum claims from Indian nationals and growing scrutiny of the temporary visa system. Officials reportedly cited difficulties in verifying the authenticity of documents and the rising number of fraudulent applications.

RISING ASYLUM CLAIMS FILED BY INDIANS IN CANADA

Last year, over 20,245 asylum claims were filed by international students.

The countries with the most asylum claims filed by students were India and Nigeria, according to federal immigration data obtained by Global News.

Asylum claims from Indian nationals increased from fewer than 500 a month in May 2023 to about 2,000 by July 2024, CBS reported.

The report noted that the proposal was part of a broader immigration reform effort aimed at addressing loopholes that have led to a backlog of applications and allegations of misuse of temporary visas. It also reported that the new powers could allow the immigration minister to cancel entire categories of visas if systemic fraud or abuse is detected.

ADVOCACY GROUPS RAISE CONCERNS OVER CANADA VISA PLAN

However, the proposal has raised concerns among advocacy groups.

More than 300 civil society groups have raised concerns over the legislation. Some, such as the Migrant Rights Network, say group cancellations would give the government the ability to set up a "mass deportation machine", the report said.

Immigration lawyers have also wondered if the mass cancellation ability was being sought to allow the federal government to reduce its growing backlog of applications, CBS reported.

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