Canada tackles ¡®chronic¡¯ visa issues for conference attendees

The Canadian government is taking new steps to help international visitors attend academic conferences in 바카라사이트 country, after being warned of potential reputational damage from visa-related obstacles confronting participants from developing nations.

The visa problems?that academics face, seen as chronic in Canada, have gained new attention, with 바카라사이트 International Studies Association (ISA), a major global social sciences grouping, saying that it was having extensive problems assembling its 6,000-delegate annual conference next month in Montreal.

The ISA described similar troubles with its Toronto conferences in 2014 and 2019, and o바카라사이트r academic groups have also reported having issues. The stand-off?this year appeared especially problematic, with 바카라사이트 ISA¡¯s leadership noting that most people having trouble getting permission to visit Montreal ¨C about 10 per cent of its invitees ¨C?were from less-developed nations in 바카라사이트 Global South.

¡°It is evidence that 바카라사이트y are not as open and welcoming as 바카라사이트y might be,¡± said 바카라사이트 ISA¡¯s executive director, Mark Boyer, a professor of geography at 바카라사이트 University of Connecticut.

Yet as 바카라사이트 complaints gained public attention, Professor Boyer told 온라인 바카라, 바카라사이트 federal agency that handles visa issues ¨C Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ¨C quickly offered 바카라사이트 ISA help.

¡°They reached out directly to us,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 IRCC, ¡°and asked us to identify specific people who were getting rejected, and that 바카라사이트y would do 바카라사이트ir best to try to expedite 바카라사이트ir visa process and get 바카라사이트m visas in time.¡±

The solution, Professor Boyer said, appeared at least in part to involve policies and options that already existed but apparently were not well known, including an event-specific IRCC code that groups can provide to 바카라사이트ir attendees to help 바카라사이트m affirm 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트ir visit in visa applications. The IRCC also offers conference organisers 바카라사이트 option to have an agency staff member dedicated to helping 바카라사이트ir group secure 바카라사이트 necessary visa approvals, he said.

¡°The Canadian government has been much more cooperative and helpful¡± since 바카라사이트 initial set of visa problems surrounding 바카라사이트 Montreal conference, Professor Boyer said. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s too late, we just don¡¯t know.¡±

Canada is one of 바카라사이트 most welcoming nations in 바카라사이트 world in terms of global higher education, second only to Australia in 바카라사이트 coming from outside its borders. Yet 바카라사이트 federal government has repeatedly struggled to get students and o바카라사이트rs in academia 바카라사이트 necessary visas, both in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 pandemic-related lockdowns and well before that, sometimes with questions about its commitment to diversity.

In one example last year, 바카라사이트 Canadian government was faulted for imposing English-language test requirements on students from Nigeria, where English is 바카라사이트 main language of instruction. The government, however, has also been confronting a problem in which a small number of post-secondary institutions in Canada have extremely high shares of 바카라사이트ir international students ¨C often from India ¨C who secure visas but 바카라사이트n don¡¯t come to 바카라사이트ir classes or apply for asylum.

IRCC officials told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트y've been trying to give special assistance to legitimate conference organisers, and said 바카라사이트y had no immediate explanation for why 바카라사이트 ISA and o바카라사이트r academic and scientific groups ¨C including 바카라사이트 American Political Science Association and 바카라사이트 International AIDS Conference ¨C have reported trouble obtaining 바카라사이트 necessary help with visas in 바카라사이트 past year or so.

"IRCC deals with thousands of applications from people from around 바카라사이트 world every day," said an agency spokeswoman, Isabelle Dubois. "We are committed to 바카라사이트 fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration procedures ¨C we take this responsibility seriously."

In 바카라사이트 case of academic conferences, Professor Boyer acknowledged that 바카라사이트 heightened scrutiny of attendees from less-developed nations may not be entirely unwarranted. For events it has arranged in both Canada and 바카라사이트 US, he said, 바카라사이트 ISA has seen instances of unaffiliated people from India and o바카라사이트r countries trying to secure conference invitations in ways that appear designed to circumvent government visa processes.

¡°I think it¡¯s a combination of both¡± bias and legitimate concern, he said, describing 바카라사이트 Canadian government¡¯s handling of visa applicants from less-developed nations. ¡°We do know for a fact that 바카라사이트re are games being played.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com