Canada plans large-scale temporary visa cancellations: Why India is being singled out | Explained

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Are you among those dreaming of moving to Canada? Those dreams may soon face fresh hurdles. Reports suggest that the Canadian government is planning new powers to cancel temporary visas, particularly those issued to applicants from India and Bangladesh.

According to a CBC News report based on internal documents, Canadian immigration authorities have partnered with US counterparts to identify and cancel visitor visa applications from these two countries. The move comes as Canada faces a surge in fraudulent visa applications and asylum claims, especially from India.

Canada’s plan for visa cancellations

The report cites a departmental presentation to the immigration minister’s office that reveals a working group formed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and US partners. This group is working to give authorities the power to cancel or refuse temporary visas based on “country-specific challenges.”

The proposed legislation, Bill C-12, is currently before the Canadian Parliament. It would allow the government to revoke visas in exceptional circumstances, such as during pandemics, wars, or when specific countries are flagged for concern.

Officials have reportedly singled out India due to suspected fraud in visa applications. The documents show a sharp rise in asylum claims from Indians, from fewer than 500 per month in May 2023 to more than 2,000 by July 2024. This surge has slowed down the verification process for temporary resident visas, causing longer waiting times.

Processing times increased from an average of 30 days in July 2023 to 54 days by July 2024. Consequently, approvals dropped from over 63,000 in January 2024 to around 48,000 in June.

The report also mentioned an increase in Indian passengers being stopped from boarding flights. As of July 31, 2024, 1,873 applicants were flagged for additional questioning and received procedural fairness letters explaining their rights and legal options.

“The ability to cancel temporary resident documents reduces security risks and limits potential misuse of such documents,” stated an October 2024 IRCC memorandum addressed to then immigration minister Marc Miller.

No further clarification was provided about Bangladesh’s inclusion in the plan.

Backlash over Canada’s visa crackdown

The Canadian government has defended its actions, saying it is taking steps to protect its borders and immigration system. In response to questions from CBC News, the Immigration Department said it had taken “concrete steps to minimise unnecessary border volumes, increase information sharing and reduce non-genuine visitors and illegal crossings at the border.”

It added that these actions, including stricter screening of temporary visa applications from countries with high abuse rates, had led to a 97 per cent drop in illegal US crossings by foreign nationals into Canada since their peak in June 2024.

However, the plan has drawn criticism from civil society groups and immigration experts. More than 300 organisations, including the Migrant Rights Network, have warned that such powers could create what they call a “mass deportation machine.” Immigration lawyers have also questioned whether the proposal is aimed at easing Canada’s growing visa backlog rather than addressing security risks.

Sharp rise in Indian student visa rejections

For Indian students, this comes as another major setback. Official data shows that Canada rejected nearly three out of every four study visa applications from India in August 2025, compared to 32 percent the previous year.

The rejection rate for Indian students rose to 74 percent, while the overall global rate remained at about 40 percent. Canadian authorities attributed this spike to 1,550 fake applications detected in 2023.

As a result, the number of Indian students applying for study permits plummeted from 20,900 in August 2023 to only 4,515 in August 2025.

Responding to the trend, the Indian Embassy in Ottawa said it was aware of the issue but emphasised that visa issuance is a Canadian prerogative. “However, we would like to emphasise that some of the best quality students available in the world are from India, and Canadian institutions have in the past greatly benefited from the talent and academic excellence of these students,” the embassy said in a statement.

India-Canada ties at a delicate moment

The development comes at a time when India and Canada are slowly rebuilding diplomatic ties after a turbulent period. Relations hit a low in 2023 when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia -- an allegation India strongly denied.

Relations began to thaw after Mark Carney took office as Canada’s prime minister. He invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 Summit, reinstated high commissioners in both countries, and resumed dialogue.

In October 2025, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand visited New Delhi for talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. The two sides announced a new roadmap to enhance cooperation in trade, critical minerals, and energy, signalling an effort to restore trust between the two nations.