The government of India has temporarily suspended visa services in Canada with effect from 21 September 2023 due to operational difficulties in processing visa applications.
The Indian government has implemented a temporary suspension of the acceptance, processing, and issuance of Indian visas through its consular posts in Canada. BLS International, the agency appointed by the Indian government to handle the initial visa application review in Canada, attributes this suspension to "operational reasons."
The Indian government has not released a public notification of this change; instead, the information was made available on the visa outsourcing centre’s website -- https://www.blsindia-canada.com/
A few important things to know about this temporary suspension:
The Indian government has implemented a temporary suspension of the acceptance, processing, and issuance of Indian visas through its consular posts in Canada. BLS International, the agency appointed by the Indian government to handle the initial visa application review in Canada, attributes this suspension to "operational reasons."
The Indian government has not released a public notification of this change; instead, the information was made available on the visa outsourcing centre’s website -- https://www.blsindia-canada.com/
A few important things to know about this temporary suspension:
- The suspension applies indefinitely to all nationalities applying for any category of Indian visa in Canada.
- The spokesperson for India's Ministry of External Affairs clarified in a press conference that this suspension also extends to Canadian citizens seeking Indian visas from any other country.
- The suspension includes the E-visa category.
- Canadian citizens and foreign nationals from Canada who already possess a valid Indian visa can travel to India without disruption.
- Holders of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card are also allowed to travel to India.
BDO in India comment
It's important to understand that the suspension of visa services is a temporary measure, but the timeline for lifting the suspension remains uncertain. While India has implemented this temporary visa suspension, Canadian entry requirements for Indian citizens remain unaffected.
Deepashree Shetty
Preeti Sharma
BDO in India