Toronto: Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said on Wednesday that his country's newly announced Indo-Pacific region will help bring more students and immigrants from India and other countries to Canada.
The minister said Canada will invest $74.6 million over five years to speed up the visa application processing capacity in New Delhi and Chandigarh and other places.
Students and newcomers from India account for the bulk of new immigration into Canada today. Currently, there are over 225,000 Indian students in Canada.
The immigration minister said the new funding will strengthen Canada's International Student's Programme.
"By giving them (international students) access to permanent residence and job opportunities that could lead to staying in Canada, these investments will attract students, who frequently become the highly skilled workers Canada needs to meet the challenges of our economy today and tomorrow," Fraser said.
"The Indo-Pacific region is vital for Canada's immigration and will continue to be in the future. Today's announcement brings significant new funding to help boost Canada's visa application processing capacity at home and abroad. As we look to record growth in admissions in the years ahead, this funding will help promote greater diversity among those looking to visit, study, work or live in Canada," he added.
