In recent years Canada has seen skyrocketeing levels of immigration from India to Canada, leading to the development of a rich and vibrant Indo-Canadian community here in Canada.
The most recent increase in immigration from India can in part be explained by the implementation of the CAN+ program in India in July of 2014.
CAN+ expedites visa processing for Indian nationals with previous travel to Canada, making the process of travelling to Canada for business or pleasure even easier! The popular program, also available for Mexican and Chinese nationals, was officially extended to India when Chris Alexander, Canadian Immigration Minister, visited the country in late 2014.
Along with CAN+, other mechanisms have also recently been introduced to increase trade and travel between the two countries, leading the growth of the Indo-Canadian community. Within the past year, 10 Visa Application Centers (VACs) were opened across India to facilitate the visa application process for those Indian citizens looking to visit Canada. The Indian citizens applying for these visas are also visiting more often, with 95% of visas issued to Indians taking the form of multiple-entry visas.
The Canadian and Indian Prime Ministers plan to continue these positive relations in the coming year. In 2015, they hope to increase annual bilateral trade to $15 billion. Canada remains interested in India’s infrastructure, energy, food, education, science and technology. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit Canada in the second-half of 2015 to continue to facilitate this relationship.
With the improvement in Indo-Canadian relations and the facilitation of Indian travel to Canada, is becoming far easier for those Indians wishing to move to Canada. With the Indo-Canadian community growing annually, it is an exiting time to immigrate! Currently, India is the third largest source country of immigrants to Canada, following China and the Philippines, and this number is expected to continue growing!
In the near future, Canada plans to welcome an even greater surge of Indian immigrants. For individuals interested in joining the growing Indo-Canadian community or currently navigating the Canadian immigration process, contact FWCanada for your best chances of successful immigration to Canada.
FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law firm that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For more tips and updates on Canadian immigration, follow FWCanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
