Backlog causes delays for Canadian visas

THERE are major delays
in the issuing of Canadian
visas due to a backlog at
the High Commission of
Canada’s South African
offices.
The High Commission of
Canada in SA told TNW that
the current processing time
was about 10 to 15 working
days for business visas and
20 to 30 working days for
tourist visas, but could not
confirm how long the delays
would continue.
Before delays began in
early May, the processing
time was about five to
seven working days for
business visas and 10 to
15 working days for tourist
visas. Michelle Boshoff,
gm of central services
of Pentravel, says going
through a visa company
can sometimes help
speed up applications if
the visa company has a
good relationship with the
embassy.
Jyothika Makan, senior
corporate consultant of XL
Nexus Travel, says agents
could request a ‘golden
ticket’ when using a visa
company. A ‘golden ticket’
is a free request that marks
the submission as urgent
so that the embassy treats
it as a priority if possible,
however, it’s not a foolproof
way to speed up the
process.
Jaendre Terblanche, owner
of Visas Zone, advises
agents to apply for their
clients’ visas – regardless
of the country – at least
two or three months prior
to their date of departure
to allow for potential
processing delays.