Women | ACW | 8 November 2026 — Canada's immigration department has refused a study permit to an 18-year-old girl in Kabul, even though she had won a full scholarship to a boarding school in British Columbia, CBC Radio reports.

CBC reported on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, that she was one of three girls chosen from thousands of applicants for an education program run by the non-profit Women Leaders of Tomorrow (WLOT). On 27 April she was offered a two-year place at a private boarding school in B.C. According to the school's acceptance letter, the scholarship covers tuition, school supplies, room and board and personal expenses. CBC withheld her name for fear of Taliban retaliation.

According to CBC, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refused her application in a letter dated 22 July, saying it was not satisfied she would return to Afghanistan at the end of her stay and that she had "insufficient funds/resources" for tuition and living costs. WLOT says two of the three girls selected this year have been refused, and the third remains in limbo.

WLOT executive director Friba Rezayee, a former Afghan Olympian, called the refusals "shocking". "So they didn't even look at that," she said of the scholarship. She urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to pay attention to Afghan girls.

IRCC declined to comment on the case, citing privacy, but told CBC that every application is "considered on a case-by-case basis" based on the information provided.

Immigration lawyer Gabrielle Thiboutot, who is not involved in the case, told CBC it is very plausible the application was not thoroughly vetted. She said the group For The Refugees successfully challenged the 2024 refusals of two Afghan women with scholarships in federal court. Rezayee says WLOT does not have the budget for a years-long legal battle.

Speaking to CBC from Kabul, the young woman said: "I truly hope that they reconsider and review my application again. It's not just about me anymore."

Etilaatroz also republished the report on 7 November.

Why it matters: According to CBC, the Taliban have banned girls from school beyond Grade 6 since 2022. That same year, Parliament's special committee on Afghanistan recommended that Canada issue study permits to Afghans with full Canadian scholarships "without assessing the intention of returning to their country of origin."

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: CBC Radio (original report); Etilaatroz (republication).