Visa Curbs in Canada, US, UK Prompt Rethink Among Punjab's Young Voters
Recent tightening of visa and work-permit rules in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States is affecting thousands of young people from Punjab, many of whom had looked abroad for education and employment. The changes have also raised questions about whether these pressures could influence voting behaviour in the state's next assembly elections, scheduled for 2027.
Canada has introduced stricter eligibility norms for its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), while the UK has shortened the post-study Graduate Route Visa. In the US, an operation called 'Checkmate' is targeting Indian commercial drivers. According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) data, between 2,000 and 2,500 Punjabi nationals have been deported from the US since 2022. The majority of the 3,567 individuals deported in 2025 were from Punjab and Haryana. Additionally, 1,273 Indian nationals were deported between January 1 and July 31, 2026.
Canada has also seen a rise in deportations. Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and immigration reports indicate that over 8,600 Indians have been deported since 2022. In Punjab, 15,515 residents were reported to be at risk of deportation for various reasons. Of these, 9,000 were former international students and asylum seekers, while 6,515 were classified as 'removal in progress' due to rejected refugee or asylum claims, expired visas, or overstays. Others were flagged for visa fraud, including fake college admission letters, membership in organised crime and extortion networks, or criminal convictions.
Reports from Canadian agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, suggest that international students from Punjab who carry heavy debt are vulnerable to exploitation by gangs. One case involved Jashandeep Singh, who was identified as having fired at comedian Kapil Sharma's Kaps Cafe in Surrey on May 19, 2025. Singh, who arrived in Canada on a student visa in 2022, reportedly admitted his father had raised a loan to send him abroad. He was later linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang and has been deported.
In April 2026, Australia deported a group of 15 Indians, 11 of whom were confirmed to be from Punjab. As student visa refusals from Canada reached 70 per cent, some students are now considering alternative destinations such as Germany, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. However, Canada remains a preferred destination for many.
The impact of these policies is also visible in educational choices. Many Punjabi students have deferred bachelor's degree programmes at international universities because these degrees no longer guarantee work permits. A large number of those facing deportation were enrolled in non-credit courses that lack employability. In response, some students are now pursuing bachelor's degrees at local universities, hoping to avoid debt and exploitation by agents.
These developments have raised the question of whether young voters in Punjab will turn out in larger numbers in the 2027 assembly elections. In the 2022 elections, only 57 per cent of the 348,836 first-time electors in the 18-19 age group cast their votes, partly because many were abroad studying. Prof. Ashutosh Kumar, Head of the Department of Political Science at Panjab University, Chandigarh, noted that only 1,99,023 first-time young voters exercised their franchise across 117 assembly segments in 23 districts in 2022. He said that leaving the country or preparing for IELTS exams were not the only reasons for low turnout; a loss of hope in politics also played a role. According to Prof. Kumar, widespread corruption and job scams have led to the youth's alienation from politics.
Whether the current visa restrictions will drive more young Punjabis to participate in the electoral process remains to be seen. The issue highlights the broader challenges faced by the state's youth in realising their aspirations, both at home and abroad.
