Pathway finder

Respond to a refusal: A visa, permit, or PR application

Deadline

Appeals and court reviews have short deadlines, often 15 to 60 days from the day you receive the decision. Call early.

Routes people usually look at

1
Applying again
With a stronger application that answers the reasons for the refusal.
2
Asking for reconsideration
If an officer made a clear mistake. The officer can say yes or no. Asking does not stop any deadline.
3
A Federal Court review
This asks a judge to check whether the decision was reasonable and fair. Only a lawyer can represent you there, except in rare cases the court allows. The deadline is short. It is usually 15 days after you learn of a decision made in Canada. For a decision made outside Canada, it is 60 days.

Read the refusal letter and write down the date you got it.
Ask for the officer’s notes. They often give the full reasons.
Choose a route: apply again, ask for reconsideration, or ask for a Federal Court review. Sometimes you use more than one.
For a Federal Court review, file an application for leave, meaning permission, before the deadline. If leave is granted, the case goes to a hearing.
For a new application, fix the problems the officer found and add the missing evidence.

Federal Court deadlines are short and strict. For a new application, check IRCC’s processing times page.

Applying again with the same documents and expecting a different result
Missing the Federal Court deadline while waiting for an answer on reconsideration
Not mentioning the earlier refusal in later applications, which can lead to a misrepresentation finding
A misrepresentation finding, meaning you gave false or missing information, which can ban you from applying for a number of years

What’s usually involved

Read the refusal letter and write down the date you got it.
Ask for the officer’s notes. They often give the full reasons.
Choose a route: apply again, ask for reconsideration, or ask for a Federal Court review. Sometimes you use more than one.
For a Federal Court review, file an application for leave, meaning permission, before the deadline. If leave is granted, the case goes to a hearing.
For a new application, fix the problems the officer found and add the missing evidence.

Documents you’ll typically need

Timing

Federal Court deadlines are short and strict. For a new application, check IRCC’s processing times page.

Common pitfalls

Applying again with the same documents and expecting a different result
Missing the Federal Court deadline while waiting for an answer on reconsideration
Not mentioning the earlier refusal in later applications, which can lead to a misrepresentation finding
A misrepresentation finding, meaning you gave false or missing information, which can ban you from applying for a number of years

This is general information, not legal advice about your situation.

Talk it through with Manny

Deadlines are short, so book or call early. Bring this summary. Consultations in English, Punjabi and Hindi.