Canada on October 20 had announced the suspension of in-person services at its consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru and the recall of 41 diplomats to India. Indian students and others hoping to travel to Canada with travel visas and work visas were concerned about the move. Now VFS (Visa Facilitation Services) Global, which grants visas, said that work will continue as normal in its visa application centers for Canada.

VFS said Canadian visa applicants will still receive administrative support and will submit biometrics at their centres.

Why did VFS give clarification?

There was some trepidation among Canadian visa seekers after Canada announced on Friday that it was recalling 41 diplomats. Let us tell you that every year more than 2 lakh Indian students go to Canada for educational purposes.

VFS Global is one of the largest visa outsourcing and technology services companies, responsible for managing visa applications for many governments around the world, including Canada. So when VFS clarified that its centers will continue to function as normal immediately after Canada halted individual visas, it means that the visa application process will proceed without any interruption.

This means that Canada has not completely closed down its visa application system in India. It has suspended in-person services only at three centres.

What type of visa processing does VFS primarily handle?

VFS is authorized to accept applications for all temporary resident categories through Canada Visa Application Centres. This includes visitor visas, education visas and work permits, as well as travel document applications from Canadian permanent residents in India. Their responsibilities include scheduling appointments, collecting visa applications, performing biometrics nominations and returning passports to applicants in sealed decision envelopes.

It is important to note that VFS Global provides services to ensure that visa applications are completed and submitted correctly. The decision to issue or deny a visa is made solely by IRCC immigration officers in accordance with Canadian visa policies and guidelines.