The delays have students worried about the potential loss of their admission offers and the missed opportunity to explore study options in other countries.
The delays have students worried about the potential loss of their admission offers and the missed opportunity to explore study options in other countries.
Chinese international students pursuing higher education in Canada are voicing their frustration as their study permits remain entangled in prolonged security screenings, causing significant delays in their academic journeys.
In a CBC report, Yunze Lu, a dedicated master’s student in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Ottawa, has experienced over a year of online coursework while eagerly awaiting his study permit.
Despite having a straightforward background, Lu found himself in a state of limbo as his application languished in a security review conducted by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Lu only discovered the security review after filing an access to information request to the CBSA.
Lu’s predicament is not isolated, as frustrated applicants – like Xinli Guo, who received an offer from the University of Ottawa’s master’s program in systems engineering – are also facing lengthy delays.
Guo proactively tracked his application and resolved a financial document issue but was surprised to learn about his security review in May.
“I don’t think I deserve a security check because I don’t have anything related to Canadians’ national security. I’m just a normal student going to study engineering courses in Canada,” Guo told the news outlet.
The delays have students worried about the potential loss of their admission offers and the missed opportunity to explore study options in other countries.
Meanwhile, the University of Ottawa acknowledged the challenges faced by students from “many countries” and is actively working on contingency plans.
The university is advocating for a fair, efficient, and transparent immigration system to empower students to plan their academic futures with confidence.
In response to the situation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reported that China is one of the top sources of international students, with a record number of applications.
Since January 2021, the IRCC has received nearly 181,000 study permit applications from China, with 1,832 still pending processing.
The IRCC emphasized that all study permit applications are assessed equally and based on the same criteria, regardless of the applicant’s country of origin.
The department clarified that security screening is one of several factors contributing to processing time variations, which depend on the complexity of applications, requests for additional information, and the ease of verifying application content.
According to the department’s website, a typical study permit application should take approximately seven weeks.
Will Tao, an immigration lawyer at Vancouver’s Heron Law Offices, suggests that worsening geopolitical relations between China and Canada, combined with increased algorithmic scrutiny, may be contributing to delays in certain applications.
Tao noted that students with backgrounds in computer science or technology and those with government ties are more likely to face these issues.
He emphasized the lack of transparency in the process, leaving students uncertain about their academic futures.
Tao also mentioned that more Chinese visa applicants are resorting to “mandamus applications” in court to compel the government to make decisions in a timely manner after significant delays.
Chinese applicants make up 12 percent of mandamus applications, ranking second only to India and slightly ahead of Iran, according to Tao’s analysis of IRCC data.
