Another parent Jaswant Singh whose son and daughter are studying in Canada, says that the day by day the Canadian Government is tightening the grip on intentional students as they have changed the rules and regulations and not only that the students will now face more difficulties in getting permanent residency (PR) and thus they fear they might be deported back and students will then be forced to apply for refugee status.”The other problem which might come is that senior citizens who are living with the children in Canada and come to Punjab to visit their families and relatives back home once a year and to take care of their properties here. They are worried now that it might be difficult to come as many have given up their Indian citizenship and got Canadian citizenship so they apprehensive about getting visas,’’ he says. Amanpreet Singh Oberoi who got his Canadian PR a few years back and has been doing business here and travels to Canada on a regular basis explanid that the present row between both countries will affect bilateral trade and the Indian Diaspora in Canada who sends money back as they buy properties in Punjab. “Also the students who are studying there will have a lot of negative effects as Canada might not encourage people to visit there,’’ he adds.A decade ago when the study visa program picked up pace in Canada there were only 214,000 international students and now in 2022, there are over 800,000 international students. As per estimates, Punjab accounts for around 70 per cent of the total Indian students who go to Canada.With Canadian federal elections due next year the immigration policy is now a key factor in the country. In last September, the Canadian government announced a reduction in the intake cap on international student study permits for 2025. It reduced study permits by 10 per cent from the 2024 target of 4.85 lakh new student permits.While Kunal Saini of Hoshiarpur whose sister, Kanika Saini went to Canada three years ago on a student visa said that his dream of studying in Canada now feels uncertain and is now exploring other options for higher education.Arvind Sharma of Hoshiarpur, whose son Gopal Sharma has the permanent resident status fears that the ongoing diplomatic standoff could make it difficult for Indians here and there to secure visas to visit their relatives.Several people of the Doaba region (Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts) of Punjab have settled abroad, mostly in Canada, the USA and the UK.
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