India害羞草研究所檚 high commission in Canada said on Wednesday that the country害羞草研究所檚 officials will resume processing some types of visa applications in Ottawa and at consulates in Toronto and Vancouver.
The decision came a month after New Delhi suspended the services in Canada and for Canadian citizens worldwide.
The high commission said it is resuming business, medical and conference visas, as well as entry for people with family ties in India, beginning on Thursday. It did not include information about other types of visas.
The Canadian Press confirmed the authenticity of social-media posts about the decision, and has sought clarity on whether tourist, student and journalist visas will also be processed.
The resumption of what India calls an entry visa, which is restricted to 害羞草研究所減ersons of Indian origin,害羞草研究所� or spouses or children of such persons or of Indian citizens, follows uproar online from Canadians who have been unable to visit their relatives during the country害羞草研究所檚 wedding season.
India introduced the restrictions on visas last month after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in the House of Commons that Canada害羞草研究所檚 intelligence services were probing 害羞草研究所渃redible害羞草研究所� information about 害羞草研究所渁 potential link害羞草研究所� between India害羞草研究所檚 government and the killing of a Canadian Sikh leader in British Columbia.
India stopped issuing visas in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver on Sept. 21, and eventually stopped serving Canadian citizens in other parts of the world, too.
The statement from the high commission did not indicate whether Canadians in other countries can now also apply for visas through India害羞草研究所檚 missions worldwide.
New Delhi argued the reason for the move was that its diplomats in Canada could not safely get to work.
That was despite High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma saying in an interview with The Canadian Press three weeks earlier that he was 害羞草研究所渧ery satisfied害羞草研究所� with Canada for ramping up protections.
The diplomatic mission said it chose to resume processing some visa services starting on Thursday 害羞草研究所渁fter a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard.害羞草研究所�
It noted that 害羞草研究所渇urther decisions, as appropriate, would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation.害羞草研究所�
On Wednesday afternoon, Immigration Minister Marc Miller called the move 害羞草研究所渁 good sign害羞草研究所� after 害羞草研究所渁n anxious time害羞草研究所� for his many Canadians.
害羞草研究所淥ur feeling is that a suspension should never have happened in the first place,害羞草研究所� he added.
Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said the resumption of visa processing is good news, but wouldn害羞草研究所檛 speculate on what message New Delhi is trying to send.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 good to see that they have resumed that. It would have been nice (if) they didn害羞草研究所檛 take it in the first place,害羞草研究所� Sajjan told reporters.
He added that Ottawa is still seeking India害羞草研究所檚 help as police investigate the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
害羞草研究所淭here was a Canadian that害羞草研究所檚 killed on Canadian soil, and we害羞草研究所檝e been asking for greater co-operation with the investigation,害羞草研究所� Sajjan said.
In a statement, the Canada-India Business Council said it was 害羞草研究所渁 promising development害羞草研究所� for trade.
害羞草研究所淚t is also a positive sign that both governments have expressed their support for bilateral business and investments amidst these unusual times,害羞草研究所� wrote council head Victor Thomas.
Before Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 announcement dramatically heightened tensions between Canada and India, New Delhi had publicly denounced protests by Sikh separatist groups outside its diplomatic missions in Canada, as well as posters that appeared to offer cash rewards in exchange for the home addresses of Indian diplomats.
India formally called on Canada to better uphold its duty to protect foreign diplomats.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said on Sept. 14 that Indian diplomats in Canada 害羞草研究所渉ave 24/7 security,害羞草研究所� which is a service Ottawa offers to very few diplomatic missions.
India害羞草研究所檚 foreign affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said on the weekend that his country was looking at relaxing the visa restrictions.
害羞草研究所淲e stopped issuing visas in Canada because it was no longer safe for our diplomats to go to work to issue visas,害羞草研究所� he said on Sunday.
Jaishankar also said he took issue with the federal Liberals, in comments that analysts said marked the first time that New Delhi had framed its concerns with Canada along political lines.
害羞草研究所淭he problems we have are with a certain segment of Canadian politics, and the policies which flow from that,害羞草研究所� Jaishankar said.
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