Tribune News Service
Amritsar, November 18. The Canadian Government has introduced a “super visa” for parents and grandparents to help them reunite with their children living in Canada.
Canada’s Minister of State for Democratic Reforms Tim Uppal, after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, told mediapersons that he was in India on the invitation of Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal.
He would be the chief guest at the semifinals of the Kabaddi World Cup being held in Bathinda.
Talking to mediapersons, Uppal said because of visa restrictions, there was a huge backlog of applications of parents and grandparents keen to reunite with their wards.
“The Canadian Government has taken the initiative of ‘Canada 10 years Super-Visa for Parents’ to clear all such pending applications.”
He said no new applications would be entertained for the next two years till the pending applications were cleared. He expressed the possibility of long-term cooperation in tourism, medical education, industry and sports between Canada and Punjab.
Answering a question on rigid visa conditions for students as compared with Australia, the minister said the Canadian Government would from now on give visas to Indian students more than any other country .
He also indicated the possibility of a tie-up with Khalsa College, Amritsar.
Uppal was honoured with a siropa at the SGPC office.
Earlier, he was accorded a warm welcome at Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport , Amritsar,by the Youth Akali Dal president, Bikram Singh Majithia, Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Inderbir Singh Bularia, District Planning Committee chairman Veer Singh Lopoke and SAD leader Ram Singh.
