Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan: Sweeping Powers Target Indian and Bangladeshi Applicants

Key Highlights

• Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan grants authorities unprecedented power to revoke entire classes of temporary visas, with internal documents specifically targeting India and Bangladesh
• Over 300 civil society groups oppose the legislation, warning it could establish a “mass deportation machine” affecting thousands of legitimate visa holders
• Indian student visa rejection rates have surged to 74% in 2025, while processing times doubled from 30 to 54 days under enhanced fraud detection measures

Opening Overview

Canada‘s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan represents the most significant immigration enforcement shift in recent Canadian history, granting sweeping authority to cancel temporary visas based on country-specific criteria. The controversial Bill C-12, currently advancing through Parliament, would enable Immigration Minister Lena Diab to implement Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan during scenarios including pandemics, warfare, and situations involving “country-specific visa holders”.​

Internal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) documents reveal that Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan specifically targets India and Bangladesh as “country-specific challenges,” despite public statements focusing only on pandemic and war justifications. This targeted approach within Canada Mass Visa Cancellation Plan has prompted fierce opposition from over 300 civil society organizations who warn the legislation could establish what they term a systematic “mass deportation machine”.​

The urgency behind Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan becomes evident through recent data showing asylum claims from Indian nationals surging from fewer than 500 monthly in May 2023 to approximately 2,000 by July 2024. Canadian authorities have partnered with US agencies to identify fraudulent applications, making Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan a bilateral enforcement initiative with significant implications for thousands of visa applicants.​

Legislative Framework and Parliamentary Progress

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan operates through Bill C-12, the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, which passed second reading on October 23, 2025, and currently undergoes committee review. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government seeks expedited passage of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan, extracting these provisions from the broader Bill C-2 framework to ensure swift implementation.​

• The legislation grants ministers authority to cancel classes of temporary visas without individual assessment requirements
• Internal documents show collaboration with US partners specifically targeting India and Bangladesh applications
• Over 300 civil society groups have formally opposed Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan through parliamentary submissions

Parliamentary records indicate that Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan enables collective cancellation decisions based on nationality or country of origin, departing from traditional individual case assessments. While Minister Diab publicly emphasizes pandemic and war scenarios, internal presentations reveal the country-specific enforcement mechanisms that form the core of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan.​

Immigration lawyers warn that Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan could affect thousands of legitimate visa holders solely based on nationality, raising significant due process concerns. The Migrant Rights Network argues these powers establish systematic discrimination under fraud prevention pretenses, fundamentally altering Canada’s immigration principles.​

Processing efficiency concerns also drive Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan, with officials suggesting mass cancellation authority could reduce growing application backlogs that overwhelm the immigration system. Current IRCC data shows over 2 million applications in various processing stages, creating administrative pressures that influence the push for Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan.​

Impact on Indian Visa Processing and Rejection Rates

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan has already manifested through dramatically increased scrutiny of Indian applications, with rejection rates reaching unprecedented levels across multiple visa categories. The implementation of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan policies has resulted in 74% of Indian applications for post-secondary study permits being rejected in August 2025, compared to an overall rejection rate of 40% for all countries.

Canada’s Student Visa Rejection Rates: India vs Other Countries (2023-2025)

The enhanced verification processes underlying Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan have significantly impacted processing efficiency for Indian applications. According to official IRCC data, temporary resident visa processing times increased from 30 days in July 2023 to 54 days by July 2024, while monthly approvals dropped from over 63,000 in January 2024 to approximately 48,000 by June 2024.​

• Indian student visa applications fell from 20,900 in August 2023 to 4,515 in August 2025
• Enhanced verification flagged over 14,000 potentially fraudulent documents from Indian applicants in 2024
• Over 1,873 Indian applicants were identified for additional questioning by July 2024s3.amazonaws

Canada’s Visa Processing Delays and Approval Decline for Indian Applicants

The country-specific focus within Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan on India stems from documented fraud concerns, with immigration officials reporting increased instances of fraudulent documentation. In 2023, authorities identified 1,550 fraudulent study permit applications, primarily from India, while enhanced 2024 verification procedures flagged over 14,000 potentially fake documents.​

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan implementation has resulted in India achieving the highest rejection rate among all countries with more than 1,000 approved applicants, highlighting the disproportionate impact of these enforcement measures. This represents a dramatic shift from India’s historical position as Canada’s top source of international students over the past decade.​

Economic and Diplomatic Consequences

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan emerges amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi, potentially exacerbating bilateral relationships already strained by previous controversies. The implementation of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan could dramatically reduce economic contributions from Indian students who historically contributed billions in tuition and living expenses annually.​

India has served as Canada’s largest source of new permanent residents, providing 86,855 immigrants in the first seven months of 2024 alone, representing the most significant contributor to Canadian population growth. Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan threatens to disrupt these established migration patterns while affecting the 1.35 million people of Indian origin currently residing in Canada.​

• India accounted for 27% of Canada’s permanent resident admissions in 2022
• Indian nationals represented 45% of international students and generated over $22 billion in economic activity
• University of Waterloo reported Indian student enrollment declining by two-thirds over recent years

Canada’s 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan reveals the broader context supporting Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan, targeting sharp reductions in temporary resident admissions from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 in 2026. International student admissions face a 50% reduction under Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan framework, dropping from 305,900 to 155,000, while temporary foreign worker entries will decline by 37%.​

The economic implications of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan extend beyond immediate educational revenue losses, potentially affecting Canada’s long-term competitiveness in attracting skilled international talent. Restrictive enforcement through Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan may drive talented individuals to alternative destinations including Australia, the United Kingdom, or the United States.​

University officials report significant impacts from Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan implementation, with institutions like the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan experiencing substantial declines in Indian student enrollment. These changes affect campus diversity while reducing revenue streams that many Canadian post-secondary institutions depend upon for financial sustainability.​

Closing Assessment

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan establishes unprecedented precedents for country-specific immigration enforcement that extend far beyond immediate fraud prevention objectives. As Bill C-12 progresses through parliamentary committees, Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan could fundamentally transform temporary resident management while raising profound questions about due process and equal treatment under Canadian immigration law.​

The comprehensive opposition from over 300 civil society organizations demonstrates widespread concern about Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan’s potential for systematic discrimination and abuse. The legislation’s sweeping authority to cancel entire classes of visas based on nationality represents a significant departure from Canada’s traditionally individualized immigration assessment processes.​

Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan will likely reshape the country’s reputation as a welcoming destination for international students, workers, and immigrants. Whether this enforcement approach achieves stated objectives of reducing fraud while maintaining Canada’s competitive position in global talent markets remains uncertain as Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan advances toward final legislative approval. The ultimate success of Canada’s Mass Visa Cancellation Plan in balancing security concerns with Canada’s economic and diplomatic interests will determine its long-term viability as an immigration policy framework.