Visa Authority Suspends Indian Visa For Canadian Residents

The Indian Mission in Canada has once again updated its Visa Application page on BLS International reinstating a ticker that cites temporary suspension of Visa services till further notice for operational reasons.

The ticker on the BLS International Website was briefly removed from the Wesbite but has since been restored. As per BLS International, interested visa applicants have been advised to keep checking the BLS website for further updates on the issue.

"Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep checking the BLS website for further updates," the BLS website says.

BLS International Services is an Indian outsourcing service provider for government and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages visa, passport, consular, attestation and citizen services.

On Wednesday, Indian nationals, students in Canada and those planning on traveling to the country were advised to exercise caution. Indian nationals and Indian students in Canada were advised to avoid traveling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen growing anti-India activities, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Indian students in Canada have been particularly advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.

The updated travel advisory for students came amidst a strain in India-Canada relations after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on 18 June.

Trudeau during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

The allegations made by the Canadian Prime Minister and foreign minister were rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs in India which dubbed the statements as absurd. 

"We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as well as the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated" the statement said.  (ANI)