India, Canada start yearly migration dialogue covering students and skilled workers

India and Canada held their first Migration and Mobility Dialogue in New Delhi on Monday, October 26, 2026, a new official channel to discuss how students, skilled workers, professionals and business visitors move between the two countries. The meeting was co-chaired by Sripriya Ranganathan of India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ted Gallivan, Canada's Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The two sides signed the dialogue's Terms of Reference, agreed to meet every year, and set up a Joint Working Group on Migration and Mobility; the next round will be held in Canada.

Studying and working in Canada has become harder to plan in recent years. Canada introduced a cap on international study permits in January 2024 to ease pressure on housing and living costs, and Indian students have faced uncertainty over post-study work opportunities and routes to permanent residence. Until now, the two governments had no dedicated yearly forum on these questions.

A standing dialogue, with a working group behind it and a fixed yearly meeting, gives both governments a formal place to raise problems before they become crises: delays in visa processing, rules on part-time work for students, recognition of qualifications, fraud by unlicensed agents, and the treatment of Indian students in Canada. It does not by itself change any rule. Its value for students will depend on whether the working group produces concrete steps, such as faster processing, clearer information or joint action against fraudulent recruiters, and on whether Canada's own immigration targets leave room for more Indian students and workers.

For students planning to study in Canada, the practical message is to follow official sources. Rules on study permits, the documents colleges must provide and post-study work options are set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and change often. Students should check a college's status and the current rules on IRCC's own website, use only registered education agents, and watch for any announcements from the new working group.

Short-term: Nothing changes yet for students or workers applying now; existing Canadian rules on study and work permits continue. The immediate result is a working channel between the two governments.

Long-term: If the dialogue meets every year as agreed, it can shape practical arrangements on student and worker mobility, such as easier processing, better information and cooperation against fraud, and help steady a relationship that matters to many Indian families.

Who is affected: Indian students who are studying in Canada or plan to apply; skilled workers and professionals seeking Canadian jobs; Indian families with relatives in Canada; and Canadian colleges and employers that recruit from India.

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