Sahney requests MEA to resume visas services in Canada

Chandigarh, Oct 16 : Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, on Monday said he has requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to resume visa service for Canadian citizens of Indian origin who don’t have Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.

Sahney said he has been receiving numerous requests every day from the Indian diaspora, especially Punjabis, regarding their inability to get visas even for emergency visits to India necessitated by serious illness of parents, family weddings or other family exigencies.

Sahney said he spoke to Sanjay Kumar Verma, Indian High Commissioner to Canada, who said they could consider emergency visas only in cases where there has been a death.

“For all other cases or emergencies, he awaits policy guidelines from the Ministry of External Affairs,” Sahney said.

The MP appealed to the External Affairs Minister saying that denial or delay in issuance of visas would cause a lot of hardship to the Indian diaspora in Canada and there was a fear of alienating them.

He hoped that good sense would prevail and the MEA would issue instructions to Indian High Commissions and Consulates in Canada to issue visas.

He suggested that in case of staff shortage in Indian missions, granting of e-visas could be considered.“But we can’t penalise our own brothers and sisters for no fault of theirs,” he added.

vg/rad