Canadian authorities are reportedly seeking the power to cancel applications for a group of visa-holders, including some Indians, due to rising concerns of fraud. They have partnered with US to identify and cancel fraudulent visitor visa applications from India and Bangladesh.
The report came amid Ottawa's clampdown on international students, which has hit applicants from India particularly hard. In August, Canada rejected about 74 per cent of Indian applications - nearly three out of four applications - for permits to study at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and their US partners have formed a working group to empower authorities to refuse and cancel visas, singling out India and Bangladesh over "country-specific challenges".
Though Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Diab has publicly acknowledged the government is seeking such powers to use during pandemic or war situations, she has made no mention of country-specific visa holders. A bill to legalise the provision has been tabled in the Canadian parliament, and Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is seeking to pass it swiftly.
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