What else can be done when an IRCC background check for a Canadian study permit is stuck for several months?

Your case has probably moved past IRCC's routine timelines into deeper security screening with outside agencies, which is why simple status checks are not giving you answers. You still have several concrete escalation options rather than just waiting it out.

Escalation Options In Order Of Intensity

What Each Step Involves

• GCMS notes, requested under the Access to Information Act, show whether your security status is marked not started, in progress or blank, and reveal any CBSA or CSIS involvement.
• If a delay pushes you past your intake date, upload your official university deferral letter and refreshed bank statements through the IRCC webform right away.
• A relative or contact in Canada can approach their local Member of Parliament, whose office can retrieve a precise breakdown of which agency is holding your file.
• If delays cross 6 to 12 months past standard timelines, a Canadian immigration lawyer can file a writ of mandamus in Federal Court to compel a final decision, though this costs several thousand dollars and does not guarantee approval.

My Advice

Start with a GCMS notes request and a fresh webform update immediately, since these cost little and often shake a stalled file loose, and only move to a demand letter or Federal Court once you have proof your delay has genuinely crossed IRCC's own service standards.