India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, met Canada’s newly appointed Deputy Foreign Minister, Arun Thangaraj, on Friday to “review the full spectrum” of bilateral relations and maintain the “positive momentum” created since Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Delhi visit in February. Although neither side released specifics, officials familiar with the talks told Hindustan Times that visa-processing backlogs and the stalled youth-mobility agreement were high on the agenda. IRCC’s New Delhi office still carries a 60-day median study-permit processing time for Indian applicants—double its global service standard—after last year’s diplomatic row over alleged interference. Business chambers are pressing both governments to expand work-permit quotas under Canada’s Global Talent Stream and to restore same-day issuance of business-visitor visas for executives attending June’s Indo-Canada CEO Forum in Toronto. Improved mobility is seen as critical to hitting the target of US$70 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 and underpinning ongoing CEPA negotiations. Observers note that tangible progress on visa facilitation would also help Ottawa diversify its international-student mix, now highly reliant on India. Consular sources say a pilot e-visa for low-risk repeat Indian travellers could be announced before Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Canada next month.
Source: Hindustan Times
