The following visa categories are no longer available: tourist, job, student, missionary, and journalist.

An update to Ottawa’s travel alert states that the issuance of visas in nine categories for Canadians to visit India is currently halted.

On October 25, India began providing visa services for Canadian citizens under some categories, following a suspension that had been in place since September 21 due to increased diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

The services for entrance, business, medical, and conference visas will be resumed, according to the Indian high commission in Ottawa.

The visa categories that have been left out include those for tourists, jobs, students, filmmakers, missionaries, and journalists.

The decision was made following a “considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard,” according to the release that was sent out on Wednesday.

The Indian authorities provided us with the information on this page. The Canadian government stated on Saturday that it might, however, alter at any time.

According to Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s high commissioner to Ottawa, “only four categories have been resumed, as mentioned in the press release.”

In light of safety and security concerns, the Indian High Commission and the general consulates in Toronto and Vancouver said that they “were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily.”

It further stated that the decision to restart visa services in the four categories was made following “a considered review of the security situation that takes account of some recent Canadian measures in this regard.”

According to the announcement, “Further decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation.”

Although 165 countries can still obtain e-visas, Canada is not one of them. Only in December of last year was the e-visa program reinstated for Canadians, having been put on hold because to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the June 18 killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, the issuance of visas was suspended indefinitely on September 21.

Both nations removed a diplomat in the immediate aftermath and have done so ever since. 41 Canadian diplomats were removed from India earlier this month after New Delhi threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity if they stayed on assignment. India has maintained it desired “parity” in the number of diplomats, but Canada branded that act as a “mass expulsion” of its diplomats.

Source- Travel daily