PTC Web Desk: In recent weeks, the state of Punjab has witnessed a significant disruption to the plans of aspiring students and families, courtesy of Canada’s recently revised immigration regulations. These changes, particularly those related to student spouses, were announced by Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller, causing ripples in the well-established trend of ‘IELTS weddings’ that had become a pathway for many individuals in the state to pursue education and settlement in Canada.
One such person is Harshmeet Kaur, a young woman in her early 20s, whose dreams of studying abroad were shattered due to the new immigration regulations. Harshmeet, having cleared her IELTS with a score of 6.5 bands, had been eagerly planning to pursue an undergraduate programme in a Canadian university. Her engagement last month, with her fiancé set to sponsor her student visa, added complexity to her situation. However, the recent announcement stated that spouses of students in undergraduate programmes would no longer be eligible for an open work permit.
This development has led to disappointment for many facing similar challenges in Punjab. Satwant Singh, a resident of Mohali, had plans to send his spouse to Canada, but the absence of an open work permit has dashed those aspirations. The trend of ‘IELTS weddings’ had gained momentum in Punjab, as revealed by a study conducted by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) from 1990 to 2022, indicating that 9.51% of Punjabis migrated abroad on a spouse visa. Notably, over 50% of these migrants were males, showcasing a shift in gender dynamics.
The new immigraion regulations specify that spouses of students enrolled in undergraduate programmes will not be eligible for an open work permit. This permit will now only be applicable to spouses in master’s, doctoral, law, or medicine courses. The implications of these changes are far-reaching, not only for individuals, but also for immigration agencies in the region.
Those in immigration services say the end of open work permits for spouses of undergraduate students would significantly impact immigration consultants and students whose plans relied on flying to Canada. Many immigration consultants’ offices had a substantial portion, around 80% of files related to spouse visas.
The practice of using immigration consultants as informal marriage bureaus has been observed, with consultants facilitating alliances between boys and IELTS-passed girls. However, concerns have been raised about the potential exploitation of this system, with instances of girls ditching grooms and couples divorcing after obtaining permanent residency in Canada.
The current scenario indicates a significant downturn in business for immigration consultants, with the federal government’s allocation of students to provinces leading to automatic rejections until March 31, 2024.
Another immigration consultant in Punjab said the new rules would put an end to the practice of sending boys to Canada based on IELTS-passed girls. “Spouses can only obtain an open work permit if the partner is enrolled in master’s or doctoral courses, attributing this move by the Trudeau government to win the confidence of local voters, especially with elections approaching,” he added.
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The trend of groom’s families paying for the IELTS exam of the girl, often from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, is widely known. Unfortunately, incidents of suicides and police complaints have been reported when girls refused to call grooms after reaching Canada or when couples divorced after obtaining permanent residency.
While students in master’s or doctoral courses can still call their spouses with open work permits, the numbers are expected to be minimal from Punjab.
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