What do experts say about the delay of international students' visas?

1. What do experts say about the delay
of international students' visas?
Although many students have been able to realize their ambitions of studying
abroad, a considerably bigger number of people are having difficulties getting
visas.
Travelers who wish to go abroad for a specific reason—such as business,
tourism, education, or simply a simple visit—find that obtaining a visa, despite
the difficulties, is a big relief. For many students, however, who cannot afford to
postpone their education due to visa difficulties, that may not be the case.
No visa conclusion is quick, therefore students who want to study in Canada or
Australia must make difficult choices.
We have been awaiting our visa results since January, although the IRCC's
(Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) 12-week maximum wait period
for a study permit. Additionally, our files weren't reviewed, claimed Akashdeep
Singh, a citizen of Punjab who hopes to study in Canada. Many of us have
already postponed our intakes because our files have been sitting in the queue
for months. Akashdeep continued, stating that he only has 15 days to confirm
his September enrollment at St. Clair College Windsor, for which he needs the
study permit. If we don't acquire the visa in time, we will have to defer again or
withdraw entirely.
Students who are looking for academic opportunities outside of Canada as well
as those who are studying there find Akashdeep's case to be compelling.
Sunny Patel, an applicant from Ahmedabad for Flinders University's July intake,
is similarly holding out for his subclass 500 visa. The issues, though, don't seem
to be getting any better.

2. "We have been waiting for our subclass student visa award, along with 150 other
international students from India. For this year's July intake, all of us had applied
to Flinders University, according to Sunny, an engineer. "The Australian
Department of Home Affairs has not yet approved our application, even though
our classes start on July 25. The outcome of the visa application is very
uncertain, Sunny continued. Sunny aspires to pursue a master's degree in
engineering.
A person may stay in Australia for up to 5 years when enrolled in full-time
studies at an educational institution under the terms of their student visa
(subclass 500). The visa enables students to enroll in an acceptable course of
study and to submit an application that includes family members. Once their
study begins, students are also permitted to work up to 40 hours every two
weeks.
Iranian students on the same boat
Iran, a maritime neighbor of India, is also being impacted by the visa situation.
Many Iranian students are also using the hashtag #helpIranianstudents to draw
the attention of authorities in nations like Australia and Canada to their
predicament.
A student in Tehran's capital, Mohammad Hossein Esmaeli, feels the same level
of annoyance as his Indian classmates. I received a scholarship from the
University of Queensland in Australia over two years ago. I've been waiting for
my student visa for about two years now. I twice used the deferment option
throughout this period to maintain my scholarships, but I recently lost it.
Mohammad, who submitted his application in November 2020, stated, "I'm very
unhappy since I put my entire life on hold to be able to finish my study, but in
the end, I found myself fatigued.

3. Students with backlogs are considerably more likely to experience them.
Although many students have been able to realize their ambitions of studying
abroad, a considerably bigger number of people are having difficulties getting
visas.
"The visa backlog issue is currently affecting 60 to 70 percent of Indian students.
Due to the pandemic phase, a lack of processing officers, and a high volume of
applications, there is a severe visa backlog in all major international education
destinations, according to Abhinav Immigration Services' president and founder,
Ajay Sharma.
Every nation faces a unique set of problems.
All of the well-known study locations, in Mr. Sharma's opinion, have their unique
problems. "Due to the pandemic and the establishment of the interim pathway
for the war-torn Ukraine refugees and asylum seekers, Canada has a backlog of
2.7 million cases.
Due to a significant backlog in visa applications, UK immigration authorities are
now requiring applicants to submit their applications six months before the
intended departure date. The two-year border blockade has affected Australia as
well, as the country is currently grappling with a sudden surge in visa requests.
And the USA is having a hard time recovering from staff attrition, the Trump
administration's limits on immigrant visas, and the post-pandemic hangover, said
Sharma.
Compared to nations like the UK, the situation in the US is better.
Some others, including Kunal Mehra, an international education consultant with
Crimson Education India, think that the problem is more widespread in other
nations than the US. "Students traveling to the UK have suffered more as a

4. result of the visa processing delays than those traveling to the US. As you can
see, US consulates are moving quickly to grant visas so that more and more
students can travel and arrive at their destinations in time for classes.
However, it's getting harder for students in the UK, where offers are conditional
if they receive a certain percentage. According to Mr. Mehra, delays in Indian
examinations across many boards have prevented many students from taking
advantage of offers that are available at specific UK universities. He
recommended that students seek academic support directly from the Universities
while they wait for their visas.
Staff shortages in embassies are a serious issue
Visa Consultants have noted that the Embassy's internal issues have affected
not just students but also commercial and tourist visits abroad. "Indian
embassies are experiencing a staffing shortage. If there were 10 employees
before the epidemic, there are now only 5. More applications are being
submitted, but fewer are being completed as a result, according to Aseem
Sharma, a visa adviser with Jetsave. "Before Covid, people could make plans
within a few days, but this is now impossible. The majority of European countries
may currently be challenging to obtain visas for, according to Mr. Aseem, who
added that more nations need to switch to on-arrival visas as a substitute.