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Canada to open Consulate General in Bangalore
Canada will open a consulate general office in Bangalore on February 26.
The office of the Consulate General of Canada, to be located at the World Trade Centre in the city, will house a Visa and Immigration Service point serving the entire south India. The services are expected to commence by April, according to officials in the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi.
The Consulate General’s office here, which will be third one in India apart from the offices functioning in Mumbai and Chandigarh, is expected to cater to not only Karnataka, but also Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Canada has a consulate in Chennai and trade offices in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
The office of the Consulate General is scheduled for inauguration by the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston during his visit to the city.
Canada first established its Trade Office here in 1996. The Consulate General is expected to reinforce Canada’s strong commercial relations and make future business easier providing immigration and visa services, according to a statement from the High Commission.
With a large number of students planning to go abroad for higher studies, the new Consulate General will also help students from south India planning to study in educational institutions in Canada.
Canada is a destination of choice for visitors, students and business travellers from India. In 2013, some 84,672 visitor visas and 13,613 study permits were issued from Canada’s Chandigarh and New Delhi offices.
According to Tim Uppal, Minister of State for Multiculturalism, the Business Express Program (BEP), in place in India since June 2008, is an example of Canada’s commitment to facilitating linkages between the two countries.
The BEP was created to provide qualified businesses and their employees with a number of service advantages, including less paperwork, priority processing of visa applications, and a dedicated service to respond to the needs of those within the programme.
Several new tools have been put in place to attract visitors to Canada and facilitate their travel. For example, in July 2011, the duration of multiple entry visas was extended from five to 10 years, allowing visitors to enter and exit Canada for up to six months at a time over a 10 year period.
In addition, parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents are now eligible to apply for the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa, which is also valid for up to ten years and allows parents and grandparents to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time.
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