Canada to reopen visa centre in Islamabad

Islamabad: As a result of the successful parliamentary diplomacy by the National Assembly speaker and delegation of Pakistan, the Canadian government has now decided to move its Visa Application Centre to Pakistan.

The relocation of the visa office to Islamabad will not only enable Canadian immigration officials to ascertain the credentials of applications within Pakistan but also reduce the processing time of visa applications.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf undertook an official visit to Canada in August 2022 for a Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Halifax. On the margins of the conference, the Speaker held bilateral meetings with the speakers of the House of Commons and Senate of Canada to discuss the possible avenues for advancing cooperation between the two sides.

During the meetings, the National Assembly speaker urged his Canadian counterparts to relocate their Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Pakistan from Abu Dhabi as it would not only facilitate the Pakistani diaspora in Canada and Pakistani citizens visiting Canada, but also tremendously reduce the visa processing duration.

The Canadian Presiding Officers assured the National Assembly speaker that they would take up the matter with their government and play their due role in making the arrangement possible. The National Assembly speaker has also written letters of thanks to his Canadian Counterparts for their expeditious action on the matter.