Dozens of Chinese students selected for prestigious Canadian summer research internships are facing growing uncertainty as visa delays threaten to derail academic opportunities supported by both Canadian and Chinese institutions.
The delays have left many students frustrated, confused, and anxious as start dates for their 12-week paid internships quickly approach.
Among those affected is Xinning Zhang, a physics student from Jilin University in China, who was selected for a research internship at the University of Montreal. Her project involves studying the cell wall growth of E. coli using a newly developed microscope prototype.
Zhang applied for her Canadian visa in February after receiving her offer. At the time, the Immigration Department’s website indicated a processing period of approximately 25 days, leading her to believe there would be no problem arriving in Canada on time.
Months later, she remains in limbo.
Zhang has already postponed her internship start date four times and is now hoping to begin on June 22. The delay has also forced her to cancel another internship opportunity in Russia that had been scheduled for August.
She is one of about 50 Chinese graduate and undergraduate students reportedly caught in Canadian visa processing delays, many of them due to pending security screening.
The students are participating in the Globalink Research Internship program operated by Mitacs, a national organization funded by federal and provincial governments to support research collaboration between universities, industry, and government.
The Globalink program brings international undergraduate students to Canada for paid research projects across fields including science, engineering, mathematics, humanities, social sciences, and technology.
Mitacs says approximately 2,200 students have confirmed participation this year, including 178 students from China. All participants are expected to begin their internships no later than July 31.
The organization says visa-related delays occur every year and that it is still too early to determine whether this year’s situation is unusual.
However, affected students say the uncertainty has already caused serious disruption to their academic and professional plans.
Huayi Liu, a biology student at Fudan University, said he accepted a research internship at the University of British Columbia after being interviewed for several projects. His research would focus on bacterial pathogenic mechanisms through molecular genetics and genomics.
Liu said he turned down internship opportunities in Hong Kong and Singapore because he hoped the Canadian research experience would help him pursue future postgraduate studies in Canada.
“I am confused, angry and upset,” he said, explaining that he trusted the program because it is supported by Canadian government institutions.
Another affected student, Xiaozhen Fan from Shanghai University, is expected to begin artificial intelligence research at York University in early July. She applied for her visa in March and said she did not expect the process to take this long.
Fan now worries that even if her visa is approved at the last minute, flight availability during peak travel season may make it difficult to arrive in Canada on time.
“I don’t have a backup plan for the summer,” she said.
The delays have drawn renewed attention to Canada’s security screening process for temporary resident visa applications.
Security reviews can involve several federal agencies, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. When applications are referred for enhanced screening, normal processing timelines often no longer apply.
The issue has been especially sensitive for applicants from certain countries, including China, where security-related scrutiny has increased in recent years due to concerns involving sensitive research, foreign interference, and technology transfer.
A 2024 parliamentary committee report recommended that Canada end government-backed research collaboration with Chinese entities and individuals in sensitive technology fields after controversy surrounding two Chinese Canadian researchers dismissed from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Immigration data previously obtained by media outlets showed that temporary resident visa applicants from China were among the largest groups referred for security screening, followed by applicants from regions including Iran, Gaza and the West Bank, India, and Pakistan.
IRCC has declined to disclose the specific risk indicators used to determine which applications are referred for screening, saying each application is assessed individually and under the same criteria regardless of nationality.
The department confirmed that the visa applications of Zhang, Liu, and Fan remain pending due to security screening and noted that the timing and outcome of those checks are outside IRCC’s direct control.
Students say they understand the need for security screening but argue that participants in government-supported academic programs should receive clearer timelines and better communication.
They say the lack of transparency has left them unable to plan travel, housing, backup internships, or future academic schedules.
Some students have contacted Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, department officials, and Members of Parliament seeking help, but say they have not received meaningful responses.
Mitacs says students may request changes to their start dates when delays occur and can withdraw from the program if necessary. Last year, only 24 of 1,537 students withdrew due to passport or visa delays. So far this year, seven students from China have withdrawn, with only one withdrawal directly linked to a visa issue.
Still, for students whose summer plans depend entirely on Canadian visa approval, the uncertainty remains deeply stressful.
The case highlights a broader challenge for Canada as it attempts to balance national security concerns with its ambition to remain a global destination for international research, education, and academic collaboration.
For students like Zhang, Liu, and Fan, the issue is not political. It is personal.
They were selected for competitive opportunities, planned their summers around Canada, and placed trust in a government-backed research system. Now, as internship deadlines approach, they remain stranded overseas, waiting for decisions that could determine the future direction of their academic careers.