Canada visa restrictions stop deals with Indian nuclear industry
August 25 2009 by Matt Jones
Stockwell Day: Canada visas will allow trade
Canada is missing out on trade deals with the booming Indian nuclear industry because of work permit and visa restrictions.
It was more than a year ago that Canada changed its non-proliferation policy to help allow India to progress in the nuclear industry. The hope then was to make profitable trade deals with India, but they have been snapped up by the United States, France and Russia. The year passed with Canadian bureaucratic barriers getting in the way.
At the moment there are Canada visa restrictions and work permit requirements that prevent Indian nuclear scientists from being able to move between Canada and India. This is required for them to shift between civil and military projects in both countries.
According to a Government source, Canadian immigration Minister Jason Kenney has promised the Indian government that special work permits will be issued to Indian scientists to allow the partnership to move forward.
The conservative government that made the policy change hoped to bring deals which included bringing in Indian expertise for Canadian uranium and nuclear engineer companies.
The Canadian government’s trade department has views that differ strongly to those of the negotiators from the non-proliferation and foreign affairs department. It is this political in fighting and bureaucracy that is taking up time while other counties make the all-important deals with India.
Trade Minister Stockwell Day said in May that Canada was "very close" to making an agreement with India, but the Globe and Mail reports that negations have still not yet begun because they are bogged down by the meager economic ties between the two counties. Sources familiar with the discussions said that Canada and India are still a significant distance apart and need to clear a number of hurdles before formal negotiations can begin.
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