India Resumes Visa Services In Canada For Select Categories Amid Diplomatic Row

According to the High Commission, services will resume for the following categories- Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa, and Conference visa.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Source : Getty

New Delhi: Weeks after suspension, India will resume visa services for certain categories in Canada from October 26, the country's High Commission in Ottawa said on Wednesday.

 

According to the High Commission, services will resume for the following categories- Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa, and Conference visa.

 

The development comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada.

“The High Commission of India in Ottawa and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security considerations," the Indian authorities wrote in a press release.

"After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services for the following categories with effect from October 26," it added.

India resumes visa services in Canada for the following categories- Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa and Conference visa: High Commission of India, Ottawa pic.twitter.com/amUGdXEUjp

— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2023

However, It clarified that emergency situations will 'continue to be addressed' by the High Commission and the Consulates General 'as it is being done currently.'

The tensions between the two countries escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India may have been involved in the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver. India has accused Canada of harboring separatists and “terrorists,” but dismissed the allegation of its involvement in the killing as “absurd” and has taken diplomatic steps to express its anger over the accusation.

Since then, the two counties have been engaged in tit for tat situation, including the expulsion of diplomats and the suspension of visa services, among other measures.