Refusals and reapplication
A Refusal Is Not the End
I have watched people read refusal letters. The letter is two paragraphs of standard phrases, and it lands like a verdict. Here is what twenty years have taught me: a refusal is not a verdict. It is a poorly written map of what went wrong.
First, find out why
The refusal letter almost never tells the whole story. The officer’s real reasoning sits in the file notes, which we can request from IRCC. These notes are where the work starts: sometimes the problem is one missing document, sometimes it is how your intent was read, sometimes it is an error on their side.
Then, choose the right response
Three roads, and only one of them is yours
Reapply, properly
For most study permit and visitor visa refusals, a stronger second application beats any other route. But it must answer the refusal reasons directly. Sending the same file twice is how people collect second refusals.
Appeal
Sponsorship refusals can be appealed to the Immigration Appeal Division. As an RCIC-IRB, the highest licence class, I am authorized to represent you there. Deadlines are short and strict.
Judicial review
Some decisions can be challenged in Federal Court. That requires a lawyer, and when it is the right path, I will tell you so and help you find one. I do not keep clients on the wrong road for the sake of a fee.
What I need from you
The refusal letter, your complete application as submitted, and the honest version of events. What you get back is an unvarnished assessment: whether a new application has real chances, what has to change, and whether it is worth the money. Sometimes my advice is to wait. You will hear it straight either way.
Do not rush the second application
The instinct after a refusal is to reapply immediately. Resist it. Each refusal makes the next officer read your file more sceptically, so the second attempt has to be right.
Related services
Study Permits
The most commonly refused application, and the most fixable.
Family Sponsorship
Refused sponsorships can be appealed.
Visitor Visas
Visit refusals and what officers actually doubt.
You have a refusal letter in hand
Bring it to a consultation. In sixty minutes you will know whether to reapply, appeal, or wait.