In the midst of escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, visa services for Canadian nationals have been suspended indefinitely by the Indian government.

While there hasn’t been a formal announcement of the visa service suspension, BLS International, the company responsible for managing visa application centers in Canada, posted a message on its Canadian website, stating, “Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023 Thursday, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.

An Indian official confirmed the suspension, declining to provide further details but stating, “The language is clear and it says what it is intended to say.” This suspension marks the first time that India has suspended visa services since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.