Overview

• India has resumed issuing certain visa services to Canadians, notably for entry, business, medical, and conference purposes. This move comes amid a diplomatic dispute following accusations of India's involvement in the assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada.
• Despite the resumption of visa services, current tensions and a reduction in diplomatic staff are expected to cause significant delays in visa processing, with normal service anticipated to resume only by early 2024. A staff shortage in India could create a backlog of 17,500 'final decisions' across Canada's global immigration system over the next two months.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being behind the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader. India has dismissed these allegations as 'absurd', further straining relations between the two countries.
• In response to tensions, Canada has withdrawn a significant number of its diplomats from India after the country threatened to remove diplomatic immunity. Currently, 21 Canadian diplomats remain in India, with India demanding parity in the number of diplomats stationed in each other's countries.
• The ongoing diplomatic crisis began after allegations of India's involvement in the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver, Canada. Since the incident, India halted issuing new visas to Canadians, contributing to a backlog of processing and delaying bilateral relations.