Tightened study and work permit rules in countries like Canada and UK are starting to show clear impact on Punjab’s immigration market as in Jalandhar district 33 immigration firms have shut down after surrendering their licenses as business continues to slow and according to data released by the district administration in March more firms are giving up their licenses than renewing them with around 15 more firms that have applied to close down and their requests are currently under review.
Officials say there are still over 1,600 licensed immigration agents in the district however the sector is now facing two major challenges: stricter international visa rules and heavy competition within the market while records also show that since 2021 about 249 licenses have been cancelled due to rule violations.
The biggest impact has been on the number of students applying to study abroad as sone industry representatives say the study visa market has dropped by nearly 80% over the last two years and site one major reason is policy changes in popular destinations such as Canada which has restricted key work permit options while the UK has also tightened its visa rules which has made it harder for students and their families to plan overseas education.
Apart from this costs have increased significantly where countries like Germany now require higher academic scores, language test results and large financial investments and British pound has also become much more expensive adding to the burden on families.
Other countries like the United States, Australia and New Zealand have also introduced stricter rules or higher costs making them less accessible for many students while in some cases visa rejections can lead to heavy financial losses due to non-refundable fees.
Experts say the immigration business in Punjab earlier depended heavily on student visas and spousal work permits and with many of these options now limited or closed the demand has reduced sharply while some agents believe this situation may push students to rethink their plans and instead of spending large amounts to study abroad many may now consider building their careers within India and overall the changing global visa policies are not only affecting students but are also reshaping the immigration industry in cities like Jalandhar.