Should you consider choosing Canada as your Study Abroad Destination?

Diplomatic tension has surfaced over the Study Abroad Dream of Indian students due to the situation between India and Canada with Visa offering. According to Orion Edutech Study Abroad, the issue is more prominent with the condition where many students have applied for the visa and many have received their visa along with University Acceptance Letter from Canadian institutions. The tension lies in the situation as many Indian students are unsure whether they will be able to travel to Canada or not to start their study abroad journey.

1. What is happening between India and Canada?

It is being researched and observed by Orion Edutech Study Abroad that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has posed an allegation to the Indian Government under Canadian Parliament that an Indian Plumber Khalistani leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar living in Canada was being murdered at the hand of the Indian Government. It was also mentioned by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Truedeau that the Indian Government has declared Nijjar as a terrorist in their records. The political issue has started with the condition where Khalistani leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been murdered in Vancouver that has left almost 70% of the Indian-Origin population in Canada worried.

It is also being addressed by Trudeau that an Indian Ambassador working under Canada should move back to India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also has said that there are some parts in India which are not safe to travel and tourists should avoid going to India. Against this allegation, the Indian Government has denied that it was not involved in any such activity of killing an Indian in Canada or following such a policy of declaring a person a terrorist. The Indian Government against this situation also has declared that Canada is not safe to travel for Indians. Another step has been taken by the Indian Government which indicates closing down all the Canadian Visas for individuals who are travelling from Canada to India due to technical issues in the system.

2. Impact of the Political Issue on Indians

The situation has allegedly caused an impact on the travel plan of Indian students as the delay with a banned visa condition by the Indian Government can cause overall delay in the intakes and disrupts their study sessions. Orion Edutech Study Abroad has communicated with many students wanting to study abroad who also have shared their concerns regarding it. Based on this uncertainty surrounding visa processing time, occurrences of education fair in Kolkata by Orion Edutech Study Abroad have been asking students to start their planning of study abroad education from Fall/Autumn terms in August 2024. Making such a decision has become challenging for the Indian student because they already have received acceptance letters from Canadian University and are thinking what would happen if their visa requires an uncertain amount of time to process for approval.

Moreover, there are four categories have been identified by Orion Edutech Study Abroad related to the way the political issue has caused impact on the Indians

●       Category 1: Indians living in Canada

Indians living in Canada are not going to face any kind of impact from this diplomatic challenge. If the Indian individual is carrying an Indian Passport and wants to travel to Canada on Work Visa or Study Visa, there is no challenge or issue for them to apply for visa or acquire it to plan their travelling.

●       Category 2: Indians living in Canada with OCI and Canadian Citizenship

There will be no impact on Indians living in Canada holding Canadian Citizenship along with Indian Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Cards. An individual holding two of this valid proof is eligible to travel to India without any issue

●       Category 3: Indians who wants to travel to Canada

This category indicates the individual Indians who want to travel to Canada after applying for a visa and acquiring it without any issue. This essentially indicates the occurrences of no impact on the Indians who want to travel to Canada. The situation is essentially prominent for Indian Students who want to start their study abroad journey by choosing Canada as their prime study abroad destination.

●       Category 4: Indians living in Canada with Citizenship without OCI

The impact of the political issue is prominent on Indians who are living in Canada under Canadian Citizenship but do not have the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Cards. It is being totally banned by the Indian Government to not let any Indian living in Canada travel to India as they are not holding the OCI Card.

3. Will Canada Ban Indian Students from Studying Abroad?

In order to determine whether the Canadian Government will be banning Indian students from travelling to Canada and start their Study Abroad journey in Canada, Orion Edutech Study Abroad has pointed out some of the major reasons here. Based on which understanding the perspective of the Canadian Government is possible.

●       According to the 2022 Data, 32.8% of Indian students have been studying in Canadian University. The data also indicates among 5.5 Million students, there are 185,955 Million students that are Indian. It has increased since with a growing potential among Indian students to study abroad.

●       The fees paid by Indian Students holding Indian Passport is three times higher than the fees paid by an International Student holding Canadian Passport. This is also beneficial for the GDP of Canada along with the aspect of enhancing its economic state.

After maintaining a thorough focus and keeping an eye on the political issue occurring between India and Canada, it is being observed by Orion Edutech Study Abroad that there is no ban on study visas imposed by the Indian Government. It is also being observed through the news that after the incident and the notice of the Indian Government, many visa consultancy have said to the applied and about to apply candidates that there is nothing to worry about. Though there are news and social media posts indicating that it will not be possible for Indian students to apply for Canadian study visa, it is still being addressed by the visa consultancy that they can apply for it without any difficulty.

It is also being addressed by the Canadian Government that those students who already have received their Canadian Study Visa can fly to their destination as planned and the other students looking for studying in Canada can also consider applying for study visa without worrying about the political tension occurring between India and Canada. Moreover, according to Orion Edutech Study Abroad, within the third week of September,  students opting for studying in Canada will be receiving their visa to attend the Fall/Autumn 2024 Intakes and after 1-2 months, the issues occurring between the two countries will be resolved properly.

4. Should Indian Students Choose Canada as their Study Abroad Destination?

After reviewing all the issues and challenges that Canada and India have caused through political crises, the main question arises here for Indian students and their decision related to choosing Canada as their Study Abroad Destination. The students who have been admitted in the September Intake 2023, they have already reached Canada and will be starting their academic activity really soon. As for the Indian students who also have applied for the Fall/Autumn Intake 2024, it is being advised to them by many Canadian Universities that they can delay their application for the sake of the political issue and can reapply without any issue when the crisis will be resolved.

Based on the observation of Orion Edutech Study Abroad on the issue of India-Canada Visa process banning, it is to point out here that aspiring Indian students looking to start their study abroad journey from Canada requires to understand the negative aspects related to the political issue. The challenges are mentioned below:

●       At first, the political issue might rise and it can move to an extent which might not get resolved. This can eventually reduce the chance for Indian students to apply for the visa as it will take longer than it requires for approval.

●       Second, the political and diplomatic tension happening between the two countries can also trigger hatred among the nations and also among the populations. This essentially indicates the condition where Indian students looking for accommodation will not be obtaining any support from the locals and also a proper vacant place to stay.

According to this, it is advised by Orion Edutech Study Abroad to choose either wait for the political crisis to heal down or look for other options or countries like the UK, European Countries, and Australia. Here at Orion Edutech Study Abroad we have specialized study abroad programs planned for the students and also there are counselors who will be offering you best information, guidance and support in choosing other countries where you will not be facing any issue in getting visa, college approval or accommodations.

Thus, if you are considering studying abroad, you don't have to worry because we are here to guide you through the whole process and the way you can apply for a study visa without any constraints.  Connect with us, to gain more effective knowledge on the way you can choose a study destination.