'Panic' as people line up round the clock at Brampton's Indian visa office

Indian-born Canadians and their family members are lining up around the clock in Brampton for a chance to get a piece of government ID — one they didn't need until a few weeks ago — that will allow them to travel home.

With the upcoming holidays and last month's news that India has indefinitely suspended visa services for Canadians, many are suddenly faced with uncertainty around when they'll next be able to make the trip.

That's partly because travellers who would have used a visa are lining up for the one service the Indian government hasn't suspended: the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card. 

The in-demand ID gives card-bearers the right to visit India and stay as long as they like, as many times as they want, over the course of their life.

At a plaza in Brampton's Northwest area, hopeful applicants could be seen outside the OCI office. The line of dozens of people stretched out of sight — people sleeping in their cars, napping on chairs, and sharing food and conversation with one another. 

"It's a panic situation," said Vidhi Desai, who booked a surgery in India for a serious health condition because of long-wait times in Ontario. She isn't hopeful she'll get her documents in time.

Desai isn't the only one. Day or night, dozens wait outside the office, which is only open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday. They don't want to miss the chance to apply — fearing future travel changes amid tensions between India and Canada. 

In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government had involvement in the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response, the Indian government said its diplomats in Canada faced "security threats" and suspended visa services for Canadians and reduced staff in the country.

In a statement, the Indian Consulate confirmed "OCI applications are being accepted and processed as per normal." But it won't matter, Desai said, if she can't get into the actual office to make an application. 

She can't line up overnight because she has to take care of her young kids. Already, she's missed work three times in one week to join the queue even though Desai says she feels there's "no chance" she'll get to the front.

Lining up at dawn no guarantee 

Last week, Edgar Xavier drove three hours from London to Brampton to submit his son's OCI application. He'll have to make the trip again next month.

That's because the company the Indian government uses to process the applications, BLS International, only has two offices in Ontario: Brampton and Toronto.

Xavier says part of the stress of the process comes from the number of people who can't get a visa anymore being added to the queue.  

"The other part is the time and the work that it takes to get the application done," he said. "The Indian government is asking for too many documents and their processing time is just too long." 

Processing time for OCI applications is six to eight weeks, an executive agent at BLS International told CBC Toronto, though some have said they've waited longer.

"There are a lot of calls we are getting about OCIs these days," the agent said, adding that there are currently no changes to the process in the works. 

Right now, he says the Brampton office is booking appointments beginning in November, but that people who can't wait in line could also use a mail-in option. He says people should not book plane tickets until they receive their visa.

Pratik Verman says he's missed three days of work trying to get into the BLS office in the hopes of making it to a family wedding next month. 

"Last week I started waiting at 4 a.m. and couldn't get in," he said.  

Verman says he's worried about people waiting outside — sleeping even — in the cold as winter approaches. 

"They need to have some seating space inside," he said. "What will happen next month when the temperature dips… and it's snowing?"

Some taking turns overnight to reserve a spot

Jaswinder Ghuman and her elderly father-in-law have tickets booked for Oct. 22 so they can reach India for the festival of Dussehra. Diwali is next month, which also kicks off India's months-long wedding season.

On Oct. 12, Ghuman says she lined up at 4 a.m. for her father-in-law, standing for eight hours to reserve his spot while he waited on a chair nearby. She says it was hard to watch an elderly person waiting outside so long. By 12:30 p.m. they realized they didn't stand a chance. 

"He has gone back home every year since 2001, but we don't know if he can go this year," Ghuman said.

By time Ghuman joined the line at 4 a.m. Richard Patel and his friends had already been in the lineup for 14 hours. Even they didn't make it in.

After waiting for 23 hours, the office closed for the day. Patel and his friends said they'd have to take turns sleeping outside the office in the hopes of improving their odds for the next day.

"It's not fair for us," Patel said. 

He thinks BLS International should hand out tokens and establish cut-off times so that "we are not wasting our time."