Ask any Canadian about the New Delhi visa office and he or she will tell you horror stories. The worst are about getting a visitor’s visa for a relative to visit Canada or attend & wedding or Funeral in Canada.
Most will tell you that the Immigration officials immediately assume the worst and suspect every visitor visa applicant to be a potential immigrant in disguise.
This situation was recently brought to the attention of Canadian parliament by Jag Bhaduria the Independent Liberal Member of Parliament for Markham.
Bhaduria told the Canadian Parliament that the New Delhi office mistakes are made by some officials on the application of the law and the result can be devastating. He cited the case of 89yearold Mrs Arora who has been denied a visitor’s visa to visit Canada. According to Bhaduria the applicant was at one time & landed immigrant in Canada had returned to her home country and now wished to visit her son for a few months.
In another case the New Delhi office refused Miss Matharus application to have some of the relatives attend her wedding this is an un fair assessment and application of the immigration law charged Bhaduria.
Up until recently a Canadian citizen who married ant Indian national had to wait for over two years for the couple to be united. Some recall the former Progressive Conservative MP Bob Homer gall to joke on a radio interview that such lengthy absence is likely to make the heart grow fonder.
But would such treatment be tolerated in a European capital? Not according to Bhaduria. The Markhant MP stated in an interview that no such problem exists for people From Europe There is a double standard Not only do the applicants front non White countries face hassles in obtaining visas they also pay & 55000 visa fee. It is differential treatment and discrimination is involved on the part of the Immigration Department.
The solution lies according to Bhaduria in a bond of $25000 being posted by the relatives in Canada to enable one to obtain a visa in New Delhi.
Such a solution has boon suggested by Scarborough Liberal MP Derek Leo who introduced # Private Members Bill C219 This Bill was facilitate the issuance of visitors visas to nonCanadian relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents While Lee did not specially an amount he wanted it to be worked out with Immigration officials. According to Lee while the bond would not necessarily assure the issuance of a Visitor’s visa it would go a long way to assure the Immigration official of a show of good faith. There is no reason why the relative of a Canadian citizen should not get better treatment when applying for a visitor’s visa Lee said in an interview.
Unfortunately Lees proposed solution did not receive the necessary support in Parliament The Scarborough MP contends that a lot of MPs did not understand the intent of the Bill and plans to reintroduce But Halifax MP Mary Clancy
who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration told Parliament on March 17 that the problems we hear of as Members of Parliament make up a very small percentage of the volume that is done by our Canadian offices abroad She supported her argument by stating that of the 627 394 applications for visitors visas 546 457 or 87% were accepted. Only $1 937 were refused. Unfortunately there was no mention of family visits in Mary Clancys speech. Instead she quoted Canada’s Immigration Act which according to her lists clear policy objectives to facilitate the entry of visitors into: Canada for the purpose of fostering trade and commerce tourism culture and scientific activities and in international understanding. The Liberal MP from Halifax obviously overlooks the importance of family reunions and visits in the traditional family cultures.
Reform Pany MP Art Hanger also dismissed Derek Leos proposed Bill and in debate in the House of Commons said that this legislation may have the effect of actually encouraging more abuse of the system.
According to Ron Bales of the Department of Immigration in 1993 20 545 applications for visitors visas were received in New Delhi. OF these 15861 were approved. Al go of the 21214 applications received for Landed Immigrant status in New Delhi 19960 were approved. India is the second largest next to Hong Kong source of immigration to. Canada Ultimately it remains for Canadians Who are experiencing difficulties with obtaining visitors visas for relatives to contact their Members of Parliament in the hope of reversing this ugly situation Bhupinder S. Lidder Ottawa
Article extracted from this publication >> May 13, 1994
