In response to visa delays facing Saudi students studying in Canada, the Kingdom has decided to tighten visa requirements for Canadians entering the Kingdom, said Saleh Bin Khadam Al-Fayez, Head of the Consular Section at the Kingdom's Embassy in Ottawa. Al-Watan newspaper reported that the Kingdom has taken this measure because the Canadian Immigration Department has failed to respond to repeated requests from the Saudi government to speed up the visa applications and renewals for Saudi students. Canadian officials have said that all processes are taking place normally. Dr. Khaled Al-Houdhafi, Deputy Cultural Attaché, said he was surprised at the indifference shown by the Canadian government to solve this problem despite repeated promises from responsible Canadian officials. He said more than 17,000 male and female Saudi students are studying in Canada. Some Saudi students have expressed their dissatisfaction over the delayed procedures at the Canadian Embassy in Riyadh and the immigration authorities in Canada. They alleged that several students have been forced to drop semesters. Many have also not been able to travel to the Kingdom for their holidays out of fear that they would be forced to stay at home for several months until their visas are renewed. According to the official website of the Canadian embassy, the visa procedures take three months but students claimed that it often takes nine months. Al-Houdhafi said the Saudi Embassy in Ottawa has raised the matter officially but the Canadian Ministry of Immigration has not replied yet. He said this problem is affecting the King's Scholarship Program.
