BLS International take U-turn after announcing Indian visa service suspension in Canada, ET TravelWorld

After announcing the suspension of Indian visa services in Canada, BLS International has withdrawn the notice about the suspension of visa services for Canadian citizens after stating on its website that the services were suspended following a notice from the Indian mission.

BLS, which provides visa services and handles Indian visa applications in India had notified ‘operational reason’ as the cause for the suspension from today until further notice. With the removal of notice, visa services will function normally as usual.

The message posted by the Indian visa application center in Canada read, “Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended until further notice.”

India and Canada are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader. The deteriorating diplomatic relations between Canada and India have raised concerns about the visa prospects for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, students, and workers who travel to Canada annually.

Canada is the second most popular destination for Indian students and immigrants, particularly from Punjab and Haryana, with over 700,000 students studying abroad last year.

These concerns emerged following the mutual expulsion of diplomats by Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that individuals linked to the Indian government may have been involved in the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

On Wednesday, India had issued advisory for Indian nationals in Canada to exercise caution due to anti-India activities and hate crimes. It was apparently issued in response to the similar advisory issued by Canada however, the Canadian authorities said it was part of a pre-scheduled and routine maintenance and no new risk information has been added to the India TAA.

Amid heightened tensions with India, Canada is pulling some diplomats from India. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India.

Additionally, Canada’s reported refusal to grant visas to Indian security personnel who had served in Jammu and Kashmir had also garnered attention in this context.