Indians planning to start the January 2027 intake at Canadian colleges received unwelcome news as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) weekly dashboard pushed study-permit processing to eight weeks, up from six a fortnight ago. The super-visa—popular among parents visiting children on work or study permits—now averages 11 weeks, while visitor visas improved marginally to 29 days. Consultants attribute the slippage to a surge in last-minute applications after Ottawa confirmed that postgraduate work-permit rules will tighten next spring. A parallel spike in biometric appointments at the 10 VFS centres across India has lengthened the time between online submission and the ‘eligibility review’ stage. For universities, the numbers raise deferral risks. Under Canada’s new tuition-refund code of conduct, institutions must return most fees if visas are refused or delayed past programme start. Several Ontario colleges have quietly offered hybrid starts, allowing students to attend the first six weeks online while awaiting a visa. Employers that rely on Canada’s Global Talent Stream should also watch the trend: a longer super-visa queue may complicate dependants’ travel plans, increasing relocation costs. Advisers recommend filing complete applications—with upfront medicals and police certificates—before mid-November to stay inside the eight-week window.
Source: Hindustan Times
