How to reduce the risk of refusal for your immigration application

Many immigration application refusals can be avoided with proper diligence.

Whether you’re applying to visit, study, work, or immigrate to Canada, knowing the most frequent reasons for rejection can make a significant difference in preparing a strong, complete, and successful submission.

This article will cover common reasons for refusal and preventative tips to avoid this becoming your reality.

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Common reasons your application may be rejected

Immigration is complex. Due to this complexity, there are a wide range of reasons why Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) might reject an application.  

But some reasons are far more common than others. These include

• Not meeting necessary deadlines;
• Not meeting all required criteria;
• Lacking financial support, or providing insufficient evidence to prove you are in good financial standing;
• Being inadmissible due to criminal or medical reasons, or because you misrepresented yourself;
• Failing to submit all necessary forms;
• Failing to submit all necessary documentation;
• Failing to pay the required fees; and
• Failure to demonstrate genuine temporary resident intent (for visitors and temporary residents).

Below is a table detailing these reasons, what they mean, and practical tips to help minimize the risk of your submission being denied for each specific issue.

Potential reason for refusal	Definition	Tips to reduce risk
Missed deadline(s)	You missed a deadline to apply, submit a document, or pay your fees.	-Know the deadlines and plan ahead. -Be on the lookout for requests from IRCC after submitting your application.
Ineligibility	You don’t meet the requirements for the program you’ve applied for.	-Double check to ensure you meet all program requirements.
Lack of financial support	You don’t have sufficient funds, or your proof of funds did not satisfy the officer.	-Ensure you understand how much money is required. -Ensure you provide good evidence.
Inadmissibility	You are not admissible to Canada on account of criminality, misrepresentation, or for medical reasons.	-Check that you meet admissibility criteria. -Take steps to overcome criminal inadmissability (if applicable). -Be honest and truthful in your application.
Missing or incorrect forms	You failed to submit all necessary forms	-Read the instruction guide carefully. -Submit all required forms free of errors.
Missing documentation	You failed to submit primary documents or supplementary documents	-Refer to the document checklist provided. -Provide IRCC additional information or documentation when asked.
Unpaid fees	You did not pay all the required fees, or paid the incorrect amount	Pay all necessary fees as soon as possible.
Failure to demonstrate temporary resident intent	You did not convince the immigration officer that you were likely to leave Canada at the end of your stay.	Provide sufficient evidence that your stay in Canada is temporary in nature and that you have strong reasons to return to your home country.

Missed deadlines

You must meet all deadlines associated with your application.

During the application process, you should keep a close eye on any and all deadlines for

• Submitting your application;
• Paying your application fees; and/or
• Providing additional documentation upon request.

Failing to meet relevant deadlines associated with your application can result in significant processing delays or even a refusal.

If you are rejected due to a missed deadline, you may have to restart the entire application process from the beginning, resulting in significant costs in terms of time, money, and potential opportunities.

To avoid this, be aware of all deadlines related to your application, including submissions, renewals, and extensions. You can keep abreast of such information via the online portal in use (federal and/or provincial), by mail, or by email notification alert.

Here are some examples of deadlines IRCC currently imposes:

• Submitting your biometrics within 30 days after paying your fee and receiving your biometric instruction letter (BIL).
• If you receive an Invitation to Apply through Express Entry, you must submit your application for permanent residence within 60 calendar days.
• Those wanting to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) must do so within 180 days from the date they receive their confirmation of degree completion.

If you are already in the country and are applying to extend, renew, or change your status, missing deadlines could result in losing your legal standing, leading to potential fines, removal, or bans from Canada.

Keep in mind that in order to meet deadlines, you may need to obtain documentation in advance. For example, police certificates from certain countries may take several months to obtain—so you may need to request police certificates before you receive your Express Entry ITA, which must be responded to within 60 days.

Ineligibility

Prior to starting the application process, ensure that you understand everything required in order to be eligible.

You must always meet all eligibility criteria, unless you have a specific exemption, such as due to a temporary public policy.

CanadaVisa has numerous tools and resources that may benefit you in determining your eligibility for various immigration processes.

If you’re not certain whether you’re eligible, consider consulting with a reputable, experienced immigration representative.

Insufficient funds or lack of evidence

For applications that require proof of funds, you must provide sufficient evidence to convince immigration officers that you genuinely have access to the necessary funds.

Insufficient proof of funds is one of the most common reasons for application refusal.

The amount of funds you need to show you have access to will vary depending on the particular program, and may also vary depending on the size of your family. Ensure that you understand the amount of funds required for your particular application.

For visitor and temporary residence applications, you must be able to prove you can sustain yourself during your time in Canada.

For permanent residence applications, you might be required to prove you have enough settlement funds to comfortably establish yourself in Canada.

If someone in Canada is sponsoring you or your trip, they must provide a letter of support along with evidence demonstrating they have sufficient funds to cover your stay.

The type of proof required will depend on the type of application, but may include documentation such as

• Recent bank statements;
• Pay stubs;
• Notice of Assessments for the last three tax years;
• T4s;
• A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC);
• Proof of paid tuition;
• A letter from your bank or financial institution;
• Statements from investments or brokerage accounts; and
• Employment verification letters;

The size of your family (including yourself) will also be taken into consideration for many application types.

Inadmissibility

Only Canadian citizens have the right to enter Canada.

All foreign nationals must be admissible in order to gain entry, regardless of whether they are applying as a visitor, temporary resident, or permanent resident.

The most common reasons a foreign national might be inadmissible are

• Criminality;
• Medical reasons; and
• Misrepresentation.

Criminal inadmissibility

Your past criminal record in a foreign country may prevent you from being admissible to Canada.

You can be found criminally inadmissible on account of

• Having been convicted of an offence;
• Having been arrested for an offence;
• Having been charged for an offence, or having pending charges; or
• Having committed an offence (even if you weren't arrested, charged, or convicted).

Whether you’re admissible or not will depend on the offence(s) in question. The number of offences on your record and the amount of time that has passed since the completion of your sentence in its entirety will also be considered.

The offence in question must have been a crime in the jurisdiction in which it took place and have an equivalent offence under Canadian law.

Medical inadmissibility

You can be medically inadmissible to Canada if your health condition would place significant and excessive demand on health and/or social services available in Canada.

This may be relevant if you're currently undergoing expensive treatments, and/or have one or more chronic health conditions that are expensive to treat.

You can also be medically inadmissible if

• Your health condition poses a danger to the public health of Canadians due to having an infectious disease or close contact with someone that does; or
• Your health condition poses a danger to the public safety of Canadian society because of unpredictable, violent, or unusual behaviour.

If you have any health conditions, ensure that you include detailed medical records as part of your application, to enable officials to perform a complete and accurate assessment of your medical admissibility.

In many cases, you may fall under the cost threshold even with fairly serious medical conditions.

Even if you don't have any existing medical conditions, many applications will require you to undergo an immigration medical exam.

Misrepresentation

You can be found inadmissible for misrepresenting yourself in an immigration application and/or when interacting with immigration or border officials.

Unlike perjury in a court of law, misrepresentation can apply both to deliberate lies or fraud and to innocent mistakes or errors.

If immigration officials find you to have committed misrepresentation, this can result in a five-year ban on all Canadian immigration.

In all application materials and in all interactions with immigration officials, ensure that you provide complete and accurate information.

If you are found inadmissible, you may be able to gain entry to Canada depending on the reason you are categorized as such, by

• Applying for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP);
• Applying for criminal rehabilitation; or
• Being considered deemed rehabilitated.

Note: In this article we have focused on the most common reasons foreign nationals might be inadmissible. There are other ways people be found inadmissible to Canada, such as posing a threat to national security.

Schedule a Free Legal Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Incomplete or missing forms

You will need to complete and submit specific forms outlined by IRCC when applying. Failure to do so will result in delays at best, and a refusal at worst.

Make sure to carefully review the instruction guide that is provided. The forms you will be required to include in your application will depend on what you are applying for.

If you are applying online, IRCC will generate a personalized document checklist which will include the forms you need to fill out for a complete application. This checklist will aid in ensuring you don’t accidentally fill out and submit the wrong form(s).

Depending on your situation, you may be required to fill out additional forms. For example, you may need to prove an exemption, exceptional circumstance, or address specific requirements.

Accuracy and completeness are crucial when filling out any form, so pay attention to every section you fill out to make sure all information is correct and there are no errors. If a section does not apply to you, clearly indicate this by writing “Not applicable” or “N/A” to avoid misunderstandings, delays, or outright refusals.

Note: For any application, if you are working with a representative—whether paid or unpaid—you must disclose this by completing the Use of Representative (IMM 5476) form.

It can be beneficial to make copies of your completed forms in case you need to refer to them later.

Missing or insufficient documentation

A complete application requires you to include all necessary documents as part of your submission. If you fail to do so, your application will not be considered.

As part of the application process, you’ll receive a customized checklist of required documents. This checklist will vary depending on the type of application you’re submitting and, in some cases, whether you’re applying online or by mail.

You may be required to send in additional documentation after submitting your application at IRCC’s request. They will inform you if this is required through either your online IRCC account or by mail.

It’s best to double check that you’ve attached all necessary documentation and that it is free of errors before submitting your application. Omitting necessary documents or submitting documents containing errors can result in significant delays or outright application refusal.

Unpaid fees

You must pay the fees associated with your application in full and on time.

Immigration applications typically involve various fees which you will be, in most cases, required to pay after you submit your application—unless stated otherwise.

IRCC will inform you of the fees associated with your immigration process, as well as where and how to pay them (usually with a debit or credit card).

The necessary fees will vary depending on application type, but processing fees for yourself and anyone included, as well as biometrics, are usually required.

For example, these are the fees associated with work permits:

• Work permit fee: $155.
• Open work permit holder fee: $100.
• Biometrics fee (if applicable): $85 per person.
• Restoring your status as a worker fee (if applicable): $394.75 (Restoring your status: $239.75 + Getting a new work permit: $155).

You may, in respect to any immigration application, also be required to pay third party fees. Such fees can include (for are not limited to) police record checks, using a representative, medical exams, or language tests.

Pay close attention that you are paying the outlined amount, as underpaying can lead to delayed processing, your application being returned to you (as well as additional costs associated with it being returned), or refusal.

Always check the IRCC website for the most up-to-date fee information. Fees are subject to change at any time, so relying on external websites for such information may feature old or no longer applicable amounts.

Failure to prove temporary resident intent

For any and all applications for temporary resident status (visiting, studying, or working), you must demonstrate genuine temporary resident intent, meaning that you intend to leave Canada at the end of your stay.

Failure to demonstrate temporary resident intent is one of the most common reasons for refusal of applications for temporary resident status.

You must provide enough evidence to satisfy the immigration officer that you are likely to leave Canada at the end of your stay.

This can be achieved by demonstrating strong ties to your home country, such as family, employment, or property, which indicate that your stay in Canada is temporary.

Strong ties to your home country can be demonstrated in numerous ways, including through

• Having immediate family members in your home country, such as children, dependent parents, or a spouse;
• Having a stable job or owning a business in your home country;
• Having a steady income and/or job in your home country that you intend to return to upon leaving Canada;
• Having an offer of employment in your home country with a start date that corresponds with the expected end of your stay;
• Owning property in your home country, such as homes, real estate, and/or vehicles;
• Having social or community connections, including involvement with schools, local organizations and communities, or religious groups.

You must provide adequate proof to support these ties in the form of documentation or other relevant records.

Whenever possible, retain receipts or confirmation of payment as evidence.

Consult with an experienced immigration representative