With Canada withdrawing 41 of its diplomats from India amid the row between the two countries following the killing of a Sikh separatist, consultants and agents in Punjab apprehend delay in the processing of visa applications for that country. Prospective students from Punjab may bear the brunt of the likely delays, they fear. Canada is the most sought-after country for studying overseas among youth from Punjab.
Canada will be pausing all in-person services at its consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and is now directing all Canadians in India to its High Commission in New Delhi.
"The time of visa processing may be high and it may now take about three months instead of the usual one month," Kapurthala-based consultant Daljit Singh Sandhu said.
