Canadian Immigration Minister assures to speed up visa processing for Pakistani students and businessmen

High Commissioner Tariq Azim .han hosted a dinner in honour of Mr. Ahmed Hussen, Canadian Minister of Immigration and Citizenship at the Pakistan House, Ottawa. The High Commissioner briefed the Minister about Visa difficulties being faced by Pakistani students and businessmen. He said that the stringent and lengthy visa processing delays for bona fide students from Pakistan has been discouraging.

He also informed the Minister that the existing trade relations between the two countries need to be given boost and allowing genuine traders to visit Canada to meet with their counterparts can provide required impetus to trade volume between the two countries. He urged the Minister that bottle- necks in processing of visas to students and traders should be removed.

The Immigration Minister said that as a matter of policy, the government is working to reduce backlogs and speed up the processing of visa applications in order to allow genuine students and traders to visit Canada. He assured the High Commissioner that he will personally look into the complaints of bona fide applicants from Pakistan during his upcoming visit to the processing centres in the region. He informed the High Commissioner that progress has been made to speed up family re-union cases. He assured to support Pakistani international students on University campuses in Canada.