Hi there,
As of July 29, 2025, IRCC will now include the final reviewing officer's decision notes with refusal letters for most temporary residence applications – including study permits, work permits, visitor visas, and visitor records.
It’s a big step forward to improve transparency, but these notes may not tell the full story.
So if your application’s been refused, don’t stop at the refusal letter. Here are key steps to help you regroup and move forward strategically:
Review Your Application Against Program Requirements
Compare everything you submitted to the exact eligibility rules for the program. Did you:
Include all required documents?
Use the correct NOC codes and job duties?
Clearly show ties to your home country?
Show sufficient financial support?
Don’t assume the refusal reasons listed are the only problems with your application.
IRCC officers can refuse based on one issue and skip a full review of the rest of your file. That means other weaknesses could still be lurking and lead to another refusal upon resubmission if not addressed.
Don’t Rely on the Notes Alone
While IRCC has started including notes from the officer who made the final decision, these notes may not tell the whole story. If multiple officers reviewed your application, the notes you receive may only reflect the final stage of a longer review process.
Treat the notes as clues to what went wrong, not a final explanation. They can help you move forward, but they don’t tell you everything.
To get a fuller picture of what happened with your application, we recommend requesting your complete Global Case Management System (GCMS) notes. These internal documents may provide far more detail and insight than what’s included in the refusal letter itself.
Decide on Your Next Move
Depending on what you uncover from reviewing your refusal, you can choose your next step:
Do Nothing (But Be Prepared for the Future)
Maybe your plans have changed, or you’ve decided not to pursue immigration to Canada at this time. That’s okay, you’re under no obligation to act.
However, be aware: If you apply for another Canadian visa in the future, IRCC will see your past refusal, and may assess your new application in light of it.
That’s why even if you’re not planning to reapply immediately, it’s a good idea to review what went wrong now. You’ll want to make sure those issues are fully addressed before trying again at any time in the future.
Resubmit a New Application
In most cases, resubmitting is the cleanest and most effective way forward once an application has been refused, especially if the refusal wasn’t due to a clear officer error, or if your situation has changed or improved since your original application.
This gives you a chance to:
Tackle every point raised in the refusal letter and officer notes,
Patch weak areas in your documentation or application narrative,
Strengthen your case by submitting new, clearer, or more complete evidence,
Proactively address concerns, even those that may not have been directly mentioned.
Pro Tip: Don’t just recycle your old application. A reapplication should reflect a clear understanding of what went wrong the first time, and show that you’ve made a real effort to correct and strengthen every part of your submission.
Request Reconsideration
If you believe the refusal was due to an officer's error or oversight, you may be able to request reconsideration, which essentially asks IRCC to reopen and re-assess your original application without submitting a new one.
This is typically only worth pursuing when:
The officer missed or failed to review documents you submitted,
There was a factual error in their reasoning (e.g. they claimed proof of funds was missing when it wasn’t),
The decision seems to contradict IRCC’s own guidelines or eligibility criteria.
You’ll need to submit a written request explaining the error, referencing specific evidence from your file, and showing why the decision should be reviewed.
Important: Reconsideration requests are rarely granted. However, in cases where there’s a clear and provable mistake, it may be a low-effort, low-cost first step, especially if you’re not yet ready to submit a new application or pursue legal review.
Seek Judicial Review
If you believe your refusal was the result of a decision that was not fair or reasonable, or that there was an error in how it was made, you may have the option to seek judicial review. Judicial review asks a judge to review how the decision was made and whether IRCC followed a fair and lawful process.
Some cases where judicial review may be worth exploring include:
Where the officer ignored critical evidence you submitted,
If the reason for the refusal was inconsistent, irrational, or contradicted IRCC policy,
You weren’t given a fair chance to respond to a concern (e.g., no procedural fairness letter was issued when it should’ve been).
If you want to pursue judicial review, you must act quickly; there are strict timelines (within 15–60 days of the refusal, depending on your location).
If the judge agrees with your challenge, the Court does not approve your application; instead, they send your file back to IRCC for reassessment by a different officer.
Have You Ever Had an Application Refused?
With refusal rates rising across many application types, we’re interested in understanding how this is impacting our community.
We’d love to know:
Have you had a Canadian immigration application refused?
Wherever you are in your Canadian immigration journey, whether you're just starting out, recovering from a refusal, or planning your next step, we're here to support you.
All the best,
Rebecca and Stephanie
The Moving2Canada Team
