Canada plans to cancel visas as more people from India and Bangladesh seek protection from 'danger at home'

Highlights:

• Canada seeks new mass visa cancellation powers for emergencies.
• Internal documents cite India and Bangladesh for visa “challenges.”
• Indian asylum claims rose fourfold from May 2023 to July 2024.
• Visa processing delays increased to 54 days, with approvals down 25 per cent.
• IRCC says new measures cut illegal crossings by 97 per cent in 2024.

Canada’s immigration authorities are seeking new powers to mass-cancel visas during crises, and internal documents reveal that India and Bangladesh have been specifically cited for posing “country-specific challenges.” While Immigration Minister Lena Diab publicly stated that such powers would only be used during “pandemic or war situations,” a CBC News report uncovered internal notes indicating they could also apply to certain nationalities.

According to the document, asylum claims from Indian nationals surged sharply, rising from fewer than 500 per month in May 2023 to around 2,000 by July 2024. This steep increase has placed considerable strain on Canada’s visa verification process, especially for Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs). The report noted that verifying applications from India significantly slows down processing, contributing to a backlog across the immigration system.

By mid-2024, the average processing time for TRVs jumped from 30 days to 54 days, while approval numbers dropped from over 63,000 in January to approximately 48,000 in June. The internal note also mentioned an uptick in “no boards” travellers from India denied permission to board flights and said that by July 2024, 1,873 applicants had been flagged for additional questioning and issued “procedural fairness” letters outlining their rights.

In response to criticism, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarified that these proposed powers were not aimed at any specific nationality. “Decisions would not be taken unilaterally,” the department said, adding that the goal was to increase information sharing, reduce border congestion, and prevent fraudulent applications.

The IRCC further highlighted that stricter screening and enhanced data coordination have produced results, including a 97 per cent drop in illegal U.S. border crossings by foreign nationals since the peak in mid-2024, a 71 per cent fall in asylum claims from TRV holders, and a 25 per cent rise in visa refusals for fraud between January and May 2025.

While Canada denies targeting India specifically, immigration analysts note that the timing of these measures amid a diplomatic chill between New Delhi and Ottawa may reinforce perceptions that India is being unfairly singled out.