Canadian officials deny student visa saying they worry she won’t return home

A Russian student says her visitors visa was rejected because Canadian officials think she won’t return home.

Marina Dubova was invited to present her research at a cognitive science conference in Montreal in July however her visa was rejected.

Officials say they don’t think Dubova would return home because she has no children, owns no property, and has limited employment.

Scholars say Dubova’s case isn’t an isolated incident. University of Toronto associate professor Ed Schatz says he has seen many visiting academics rejected for visas.

The rejections are a deterrent for the conference organizer trying to ensure a diversity of voices.