Canada's 'Strong Borders Bill' sparks fears: Thousands of Indian visas at risk of cancellation, 'Canada dream' on shaky ground

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Indians seeking to immigrate to Canada may soon face a major setback. The Canadian government is preparing to introduce a bill in Parliament that would give it unprecedented power to cancel temporary visas on a large scale. According to a CBC News report, this move could be used specifically to curb alleged fraudulent applications from India.

The report, quoting IRCC, CBSA and US departments, said that this provision is considered an important step to prevent fraud by temporary visa applicants from India.

What's in this new bill?

This new rule is part of Canada's "Strong Borders Bill." The bill states that in special circumstances, such as a pandemic or war, a large number of visas can be revoked at once. However, reports indicate that Canadian authorities could use this to target visa holders from certain countries, notably India.

This rule will cover temporary residents, including foreign students, work permit holders and visitors.

Immigration lawyer Sumit Sen told Hindustan Times that if the Liberal government's bill is passed, thousands of applications could be rejected in one fell swoop, as it would give the concerned minister immense power.

Citing the example of 2007, he said that even then, files were closed to clear the backlog. This situation occurs despite the already long delays in approving visa applications in Canada. For example, entrepreneurs applying for a Startup Visa have been facing wait times of up to 35 years (420 months).

The impact of the Canadian government's strictness on Indian students has already begun to be felt. According to a report on Sunday, 74% of Indian students were denied study permits in August 2025, up from just 32% in August 2023. This means that emigrating from India to Canada for studies has become extremely difficult.

The Canadian government is currently seeking to reduce the influx of new arrivals (both permanent and temporary), with Indians being the most affected. Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is under intense pressure to reduce the number of new arrivals due to growing anti-immigration sentiment in the country. The government is set to unveil its new Immigration Levels Plan this month.