Canada is approving fewer visas, turning away immigrants in record numbers
Canada is turning away immigrants in record numbers who reach its borders with official documents, according to government data obtained by the news agency Reuters.
The rise in visa rejections comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government faces growing pressure to reduce the number of temporary residents amid concerns over housing shortages and high prices, with migrants being blamed for some of these issues.
In July alone, Canada refused entry to 5,853 foreign travellers, the highest number since at least January 2019. These travellers included students, workers, and tourists who were “allowed to leave”.
On average, 3,727 foreign travellers were turned away each month in the first seven months of 2024, marking a 20% increase compared to last year.
Additionally, 285 visa-holders were deemed inadmissible in July, the most in any single month since 2019.
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES FEWER VISAS
The Canadian government is not publicly addressing any specific policy changes leading to the rise in visa rejections.
“The CBSA’s role, policy, and practice has always been to assess the admissibility of persons coming to Canada. This has not changed,” a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Canada’s immigration department is approving fewer visas.
The ratio of refused visitor visa applications to approved ones was higher in June than at any point since the height of the pandemic.
In January, February, May, and June 2024, more applications were refused than approved, according to Reuters.
The number of approved study and work permits in Canada has decreased from the high levels seen in 2023 and 2022.
“Canadians want a system that is not out of control,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in August, as reported by Reuters.
This drop is part of the government’s broader effort to limit the number of people applying for permanent residency.
The Canadian government had announced a cap on study permits for international students in January.
Additionally, the government is reducing its Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) programme.
Trudeau’s government announced that employers in industries with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will be restricted from hiring low-wage Temporary Foreign Workers, with exceptions only for specific “food security sectors” such as agriculture and food processing.
Indians are among the largest cohort of international students and low-wage workers migrating to Canada. So, these curbs would hit Indians the most.
WHY INDIANS APPLY FOR CANADIAN VISAS
Recent years have witnessed a surge in enrolment by Indian students at Canadian universities, according to a study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).
“Highly skilled foreign nationals, including international students, have been choosing Canada over America because it is difficult to gain H-1B status or permanent residence in the United States, and easy to work in temporary status and acquire permanent residence in Canada,” according to a NFAP analysis, as reported by Forbes.
“Between 2013 and 2023, Indians immigrating to Canada rose from 32,828 to 139,715, an increase of 326%,” according to NFAP.
Indian enrolment at Canadian universities rose more than 5,800% in the last two decades, from 2,181 in 2000 to 128,928 in 2021, an increase of 126,747 students.
Despite recent diplomatic issues between India and Canada, the North American country remains a preferred destination for Indian students.