Visa outsourcer VFS Global has quietly posted an ‘Important Update’ on its India–Canada portal stating that new service charges will take effect on Sunday, 1 November 2026. Although the company has not yet published the full fee table, travel-management companies told Global Mobility News that they have been advised to expect a 12–15 % rise across core services, including application handling, biometrics enrolment and the increasingly popular Premium Lounge. The timing matters: November marks the start of Canada’s peak intake for January academic sessions and coincides with a post-pandemic rebound in business-visitor numbers. Indian applicants lodged more than 1 million temporary-resident and study-permit files in 2025, according to IRCC data, making fee sensitivity a live issue for corporates that batch-file work-permit applications. At current exchange rates, a ₹ 400–₹ 600 hike per file could add up quickly for IT services firms that rotate hundreds of engineers on short-term work permits. Process-wise, nothing else changes. Applicants must still book appointments via VFS’s online scheduler, present their Biometric Instruction Letter and pay government fees through IRCC’s portal. However, travel managers should note that VFS collects its service fee locally in rupees, so the 1 November increase will apply even to applications that obtained a BIL before that date but schedule their VAC visit afterwards. The move also rekindles debate over India’s outsourced-visa model. Critics argue that consular outsourcing lacks transparent oversight of fee hikes, while supporters say it improves capacity and customer experience. Either way, corporates should update cost matrices immediately, pre-pay fees before 1 November where possible, and brief travelling employees on the new pricing tiers once VFS releases the detailed schedule. Finally, immigration counsel advise applicants to double-check that any ancillary services (courier return, SMS alerts) they select during online checkout still make commercial sense under the new structure. With appointment backlogs currently minimal—thanks to IRCC’s digitisation push—the priority for most employers will be cost containment rather than speed.
Source: VFS Global (India–Canada portal)
