Visitor Visa Refused

Visitor visas, student permit and work permits are temporary resident visas (TRV). If you’ve received notification of a visitor visa refusal from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), you need to decide what to do next. There is basically two options: appeal in Federal Court or reapply.

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Why was my Visitor Visa Application Refused?

The visitor visa application process is fairly complicated and often the applicant does not fully understand the process and what is required in order to have a successful outcome. After applications for a TRV are submitted, an immigration officer reviews the application and makes a decision to approve or refuse. There is no interview and the visa officer makes a decision based solely on the information provided and will not request any additional information even if it is missing. If an application does not contain the necessary forms, information and supporting documents the application will likely be refused. Furthermore, if an application only contains the minimum required documents and it does not include documents to strengthen the application where needed it may also be refused. Therefore, it is very important to submit an application that is both strong and complete the first time a person applies.

Common Reasons for Visitor Visa Refusals

How can a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant Help?

Obtain and Examine GCMS Notes: Global Case Management System (GCMS) is the information system used by IRCC to process visa applications and contain the entire case history. They contain the notes the visa officer has entered into the system when making a decision about an application and contain invaluable insight into the visa officer’s analysis of the case and reasoning behind the decision. GCMS notes and the refusal letter can help identify the reason for the rejection and enable you to rectify the problem by making the proper corrections and provide additional information to strengthen your application where the visa officer had concerns.

Professional Representation: If you did not have a representative for your previous application you probably only submitted the required documentation listed on the IRCC document checklist.Often, submitting only those documents are not enough to make your case that you will return to your home country after your visit and to satisfy the visa officer of other requirements of obtaining a visitor visa. Generally, it is wise to submit as much evidence as you can beyond the minimum required by IRCC. Your representative can assist you in preparing and submitting a stronger application to IRCC that address the concerns the visa officer had about your previous application.

Submission letter: An RCIC will prepare and submit a submission letter on behalf of the applicant along with the application. The submission letter will respond to and address the reasons for refusal identified in the GCMS notes and on the refusal letter.

In our experience the combination of the three factors above is usually sufficient to overcome most refusals, especially the most common or frequent ones.

If you have been refused a visitor visa or want to apply for one for the first time we are here to help! We specialize in helping clients overcome refusals and have assisted numerous clients obtain a visa after they have been refused. Please contact us and one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants will revert to you within 48 hours.