Punjab families facing the brunt as diplomatic row between India and Canada deepens

Hoshiarpur/Phagwara: Kunal Saini says he can see his dream of studying in Canada going up in smoke. Arvind Sharma fears he might not get a visa to visit his son, while shopkeepers say the NRI season might not bring the profits they are looking for.

As India-Canada relations sink to a new low, anxiety is the subtext across large swathes of Punjab where lakhs of families have a strong connection with the North American country. Either someone’s children are studying there or aspiring to, others whose kin chose to settle down there for

better jobs and money.

India on Monday expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced withdrawing its high commissioner and other “targeted” officials from Canada. It strongly dismissed Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The escalating diplomatic row between India and Canada has left many families back home worried.

Canada is one of the most favourite countries for Punjabis to study and settle down there.

A number of people of the Doaba region, comprising Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), are settled abroad, mostly in Canada, the USA and the UK.

Reacting to the fresh development, Kunal Saini (21), resident of Gautam Nagar in Hoshiarpur, expressed his worry over the situation, stating that his dream of studying in Canada now feels uncertain.

His sister, Kanika, who moved to Canada three years ago on a student visa, has been keeping him informed about the challenges the Indian students are already facing there.

She told her brother that the Canadian government has imposed stricter restrictions, especially limiting students to 20 hours of work per week.

This has particularly affected those from modest backgrounds, as they struggle to meet their living expenses with limited part-time job opportunities.

Given the current situation, Kunal has reluctantly decided to abandon his plans of studying in Canada and is now exploring other options for higher education.

In September this year, the Canadian government announced a reduction in the intake cap on international student study permits for 2025. It reduced study permits by 10 per cent from the 2024 target of 4.85 lakh new student permits.

According to estimates, Punjab accounts for around 70 per cent of the total Indian students who go to Canada.

Arvind Sharma, a resident of Red Road in Hoshiarpur who owns a stationery shop, voiced concerns over the uncertainty facing Indians in Canada. 

His son, Gopal Sharma, who obtained permanent resident status there, is also affected by the tension between the two countries.

In Kapurthala, Rishipal, Amandeep and Madan Lal, all local residents whose wards are studying in Canada, said their children were already facing problems in getting extension in work permits. While Rishipal and Amandeep are shop owners, Madan Lal is a retired government employee.

The three are facing problems in securing visitor visas to meet their wards in Canada, they said.