A group of 25 Chinese graduate and PhD students, who have recieved acceptance into STEM programs at institutions like the University of British Columbia, McGill University, and UW, have taken Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to court over significant delays in receiving their visas. They argue that Canada’s immigration department has pressed pause on their lives, forcing them to wait while their academic plans slip away.

Among them is Zhenbo Di, a UW graduate student whose research focuses on relativity. For him, the news of a delay was devastating. “I was shocked and disappointed. My research area is relativity, which is purely theoretical and has no connection to security concerns,” he explained. The lawsuit alleges that the students’ visas have been unfairly stalled within the screening process. “I also learned that the security check process can take an extremely long time, which made me very worried about how severely this could affect my future.”

Di submitted his study permit application on July 4 and has now been waiting almost three months with no clear update. “Each day is filled with worry and anxiety, as I do not know whether my academic plans will move forward,” he said.

The uncertainty has already forced him to defer his enrollment to spring 2026, a setback “which essentially means losing almost a year of valuable time waiting for the result,” Di shared.

The financial impacts weigh heavily, too. Like many international graduate students, Di depends on support from his home country, which may be lost if the delay continues. “I am supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), but funding is only valid until the end of 2026. If the [delay] continues too long and I cannot get the result of my application within this period, I may lose my financial support entirely.”

The lawsuit, led by lawyer Vakkas Bilsin, argues that these prolonged waits not only harm the students’ futures but may also point to discriminatory practices in how applications from Chinese nationals are handled. “I cannot speak for students from other countries, but I know many students from China are facing these unreasonable delays,” Di said. If proven, this could reveal systemic barriers in a system that’s supposed to welcome international talent.

Di notes that he hasn’t been left completely alone in this process. “My supervisor and the graduate program manager have offered me a lot of support, and UW also sent out a survey to collect information from students affected by delays. I understand that, as an educational institution, UW has limited influence over the study permit process itself.”

For Di, the message he wants to send is clear. “I hope universities and the government can gain a clearer understanding of our situation, and take steps to provide more support or help expedite the process.” Until then, his best advice to other students is to prepare for uncertainty. “If possible, consider applying to positions in other countries as alternatives. Sometimes we just need to do our best and let the outcome unfold.”

Imprint has reached out to IRCC for comment.