Due to the escalating diplomatic tension, the students going from Punjab to Canada on a study visa are now anxious and worried. The diplomatic tension has cast a cloud on those who wish to study and settle down in Canada, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
A student from Jalandhar, Vikramjit Arora said that last month, he cleared his IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and he was trying to gain admission to Canadian universities as after studying there, he aimed to settle down there but he is now afraid he might be denied a student visa.
There are 2,30,000 Indian students in Canada, as per the website of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
Parents worried too
Jaswant Singh Sohi from Mohali whose two children (son and daughter) and pursuing their studies in Canada is worried too.
"I have taken big education loans to educate my children and then they hope to get settled there, both governments should resolve the issue at the earliest.''
A few students who are already in Canada, on condition of anonymity, said that any confrontation between both Canada and India may jeopardise their chances of studying in Canada and they hoped the situation would normalise soon.
"We are worried, our parents sent us to Canada after spending lakhs of rupees with the hope that we will settle down and lead a good life,'' they added.
"Canada cannot ignore..."
A consultant, Gurpreet Singh, also expressed concerns about the current situation, "Every year, 40 per cent of international students who are migrating to Canada are from India. Canada cannot ignore such a substantial source of income. It has to be seen how both countries handle the situation, as a few students might be affected,'' he said.
A few consultants were of the view that due to the present situation, the consultants who offer options to students in other countries such as the UK, Australia or European Countries might take advantage of this situation to discredit Canada, making baseless claims about its impact on study abroad.
As per the data which was issued by the office of the Auditor General of Ontario sometime back between 2012-13 and 2020-21, domestic enrolments declined by 15 per cent, while international enrolments grew by 342 per cent, with 62 per cent of students coming from India.
