The importance of submitting a complete and consistent temporary residence application to visit Canada can often be underestimated under the misconception that these applications are easy to prepare by just following the instructions provided on the official Canadian Immigration website, or even by following advice from unqualified individuals with no relevant experience in the field. This inevitably results in more and more applications for temporary residence being refused every day.
Taking into account that each situation is different, often region specific and that our best recommendation is to always seek appropriate personalized advice, we want to share with you the six most common reasons why a temporary residence application is refused and how they can be easily avoided or mitigated in advance.
1. Incomplete or incorrect application forms
It is essential to be extremely diligent and detail-oriented when downloading and completing your application forms, depending on the type of permit you wish to obtain. Some applicants fill out the wrong forms, while others leave important areas blank, unanswered or do not provide adequate details of the requested information.
Failure to complete the forms in a truthful and adequate manner may lead the immigration officer to conclude that there is misrepresentation and a lack of transparency and honesty in the information provided.
Always be honest and provide all necessary details as appropriate, answer all questions in English or French, and ensure to triple-check all sections and answers.
2. Lack of an explanation of the purpose of your visit
If your interest is to study in Canada and obtain a study permit, you must provide a letter explaining your academic goals (program to pursue and its duration, rationale to study this program, available funds to cover the costs of tuition fees and accommodation in Canada, etc.) the more detailed explanation you can provide, the easier it will be for the immigration officer to understand your study plan.
If your intent is to temporarily visit Canada for tourism purposes or to reunite with family or friends, write a letter indicating the purpose of your visit, your itinerary with the places and/or people to visit, etc. If meeting with friends or family, include a letter of invitation from the relative or friend you are going to visit in Canada.
3. Not enough proof of ties to your home country or country of residence
In your application, remember to provide adequate and truthful documentary evidence showing ties to your country of origin and/or residence in order to convince the immigration officer that your intention to visit temporarily is genuine and that you have no intention of staying in Canada longer than allowed, as you have ties in your country of origin and/or residence that require your attention and return, these being properties, companies, employment commitments, academic reasons, or family responsibilities.
4. Insufficient funds or financial support
It is fundamental to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support your trip and temporary stay in Canada, either with bank statements, mutual funds or certificates of deposit. Keep in mind that the immigration officers are expecting you to prove your financial liquidity, therefore properties, vehicles, or credit card statements are not valid to demonstrate such liquidity. If your personal funds are insufficient, we recommend that you prove that you can obtain financial support from a close relative, such as one of your parents, by providing a letter signed by the relative confirming this support, the source of the funds and evidence of family relationship.
5. Inconsistencies with the information and/or with the supporting documents provided
Make sure that all the information you provide is true and consistent with the supporting documents you are going to include. For instance, indicating that you have never been denied a visa or entry to another country, but then a visa denial stamp is found on the copies of your passports is a legitimate reason for your application to be refused. It is worth keeping in mind that, even if there is no evidence of visa refusals or denied entry stamps on your passports, Canada has agreements and information systems in place with several countries for fact-checking, therefore omitting these details is still a common ground for refusal. Another scenario that shows inconsistency is when the information contained in the employment certificates does not match the paystubs, bank statements and/or income tax returns.
Thus, ensure to carefully review and verify the documents that you are going to include in your application. A useful tip is to practice answering the following questions: are these documents appropriate? Is the information true and correct? Are they clear and legible? Are they adequate?
Also take into account that most immigration offices around the world, including Latin America, have standardized their procedures requiring all applicants to accompany their documents with their respective official translations into one of the two official languages of Canada (English or French).
6. Not having a good travel record or even one at all
One of the premises that the immigration officer takes into consideration when deciding on an application for temporary residence is the applicant’s travel history to other countries. So, we strongly recommend making trips before submitting an application if you don’t have any travel record whatsoever. There are some situations in which not having a travel record can be justifiable. It is also important to ensure that you have not remained in a country beyond the legal time allowed, and avoid repetitive trips to the same destination without any reasonable justification.
Before deciding to submit an application yourself, remember that having the advice and support of an experienced immigration consultant or attorney can make all the difference, easing your experience with the process of gathering, preparing and presenting your documents, making it less daunting and better prepared to minimize the risks and maximize the chances of a positive decision.
If you are interested in applying for a study permit, work permit or temporary residence visa, feel free to take or free immigration assessment or contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.
