Study Abroad: ‘Canada has nothing against Indian students,’ say overseas education consultants

NEW DELHI: For Indian students hoping to study in Canada and study abroad consultants guiding them, the current souring of relations between Canada and India over the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar and investigations into it, is a temporary issue that will soon blow over.

The study abroad consultants believe that Canada will not do anything to harm the Indian students. “Canada has nothing against Indian students. They cannot afford to ban Indian students because they cannot afford to lose out on the inflow of fees. We have a number of clients whose visa processes are going on with us and even they are not worried,’ said Lagan Khurana of Bathinda-based Takeoff Overseas Education.

On September 21, India suspended visa services in Canada but there’s been no matching action from Canadians that impacts the general public. Canada is an important study destination for Indian students. As per the ministry of external affairs (MEA), 1,83,310 students were studying in Canada in 2022, second only to the US and more than three times the number in the UK.

‘No problem in Canada’

On September 20, the MEA issued an advisory to Indians in Canada, addressing students as well, saying: “Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant."

Latha Reji asked her son, an engineering student at a college in Edmonton, Alberta, about the situation. “My son who recently got admission is going to college regularly. I have spoken to him and he told me that the situation is peaceful there and the present disturbance is political and only for a few days. There’s no problem in Canada,” she said, adding that she plans to visit her son next March.

Not everyone is equally optimistic. Another mother whose son left to study engineering at a university in Canada in August is worried. Asking not to be named she said, “I just don't know what is going on and how to go about things”.

It’s temporary

Ashima – she doesn’t use a last name – of Sky Bridge Immigration & Education Consultants Pvt Ltd., too said they are not getting any calls from the students about the present conflict’s impact on study visas. “They know well that it is just temporary and it has nothing to do with student visa.”

The MEA advisory had also asked students to register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or through the madad.gov.in portal.