Whereas the brand new VACs will initially concentrate on offering biometric collections, it’ll develop its providers to transmit and observe passports and different paperwork.
Candidates will nonetheless have the ability to entry all of the providers at Canada’s present VAC in Mexico Metropolis.
“With these new centres, Mexico may have 4 VACs positioned within the nation’s three largest metropolitan areas. This can make it simpler for Mexican nationals to supply biometrics to return to Canada if required, and help journey and people-to-people ties between the 2 international locations, whereas additionally preserving the integrity of Canada’s immigration system,” mentioned Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The event comes months after Canada reimposed visa necessities for Mexican nationals in February after asylum claims from the nation to Canada reached 23,995 in 2023 in comparison with 260 in 2016 when Ottawa first eliminated the visa limitations.
Though Canada had mentioned that Mexican residents holding a sound work or examine allow may nonetheless journey by air to Canada with their present Digital Journey Authorisation for so long as it’s legitimate, these with out an eTA would require a customer visa as per the brand new guidelines.
This led to considerations amongst stakeholders in Canada’s language schooling sector, who have been catering to over 12,000 Mexican college students in 2022, as reported by The PIE Information.
With these new centres, Mexico may have 4 VACs positioned within the nation’s three largest metropolitan areas. This can make it simpler for Mexican nationals to supply biometrics to return to Canada if required
IRCC
Since a majority of those college students full quick applications, they have been visa-exempt earlier than the modifications kicked in.
The choice to open up new VACs may present extra pathways to Mexican college students residing in numerous cities throughout the nation, to pursue greater schooling in Canada.
Mexico is already a key rising market, figuring among the many prime 10 supply international locations to Canada.
Over 16,900 college students from Mexico held examine permits in Canada in 2023 in comparison with over 14,400 in 2022.
Mexico, together with different Latin American international locations Brazil, and Colombia, additionally options amongst precedence international locations in Canada’s 2019 worldwide schooling technique.
Demand for schooling in Canada amongst Latin American college students has shot up within the final ten years, with over 55,000 of them comprising the nation’s worldwide pupil cohort in 2022.
Based on the IRCC, candidates could make appointments to supply their biometrics at any of the 4 VAC places as quickly as they obtain their biometric instruction letter.
“VACs are managed by personal firms which have contracts with the Authorities of Canada. They don’t signify the Authorities of Canada. They don’t make choices about purposes and may’t present any visa-related recommendation to candidates,” the IRCC added.
