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Check your Canada visitor visa application before you apply

IRCC refuses temporary resident visas from a fixed list of reasons, printed as ticked lines in the refusal letter and expanded in the officer's notes. This page shows you the list and where your application currently sits against it.

migration officer Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
01
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: purpose of visit

Purpose of visit

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on the purpose of your visit.

What the officer assesses: Whether the trip you describe makes sense for someone in your circumstances, at the cost you will pay, for the length you asked for.

Evidence that addresses it

  • A letter of explanation setting out the purpose, the dates and who is paying
  • A dated itinerary
  • The invitation letter where family or friends are hosting, with their status in Canada
  • Event evidence: conference registration, a wedding invitation, a school letter
02
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: family ties in Canada and in country of residence

Family ties in Canada and in your country of residence

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on your family ties in Canada and in your country of residence.

What the officer assesses: The balance between who is here and who is there. Close family in Canada is not a bar, but it is weighed against what you are returning to.

Evidence that addresses it

  • Marriage certificate and children's birth certificates
  • Evidence of dependants who remain at home during the visit
  • Property deeds or a tenancy agreement in the applicant's name
  • Employment letter with approved leave dates
  • Evidence of care responsibilities: medical letters, school letters
03
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: personal assets and financial status

Personal assets and financial status

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on your personal assets and financial status.

What the officer assesses: Whether the trip is affordable from evidenced income and assets, and whether the money in the account behaves like your money.

Evidence that addresses it

  • Four to six months of bank statements from the account that will pay for the trip
  • Payslips and a letter of employment stating salary
  • Notice of assessment or tax filings
  • Evidence of assets: property, investments, business ownership
  • Where a host in Canada is paying: their letter, their statements and their status
04
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: travel history

Travel history

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on your travel history.

What the officer assesses: Whether you have travelled and complied before.

Evidence that addresses it

  • All passports including expired ones, showing visas and stamps
  • Boarding passes or travel records where stamps are unclear
  • A short explanation where there is no travel history, with the ties that answer it instead
  • Any previous refusal notice, with what has changed since
05
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: length of proposed stay

Length of the proposed stay

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on the length of your proposed stay.

What the officer assesses: Whether the stay you asked for fits the purpose and your commitments at home.

Evidence that addresses it

  • Approved leave dates from the employer
  • An itinerary covering the whole requested period
  • A stated return date and a return flight reservation
  • An explanation where a long stay is genuinely needed
06
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: current employment situation

Current employment situation

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on your current employment situation.

What the officer assesses: Whether you hold something at home you would come back for, and whether it is documented.

Evidence that addresses it

  • Employment letter on headed paper: role, start date, salary, approved leave, a named signatory and contact details
  • Payslips for the same months as the statements
  • Business registration, tax filings and business bank statements where self-employed
  • Evidence of continuing obligations: contracts, client letters
07
IRPR 179(b), refusal reason: immigration status in the country of residence

Immigration status in your country of residence

I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, based on your immigration status in your country of residence.

What the officer assesses: Whether you have the right to return to where you are applying from, for long enough after the trip.

Evidence that addresses it

  • Residence permit or visa for the country of residence, valid beyond the return date
  • Employment contract or work permit in that country
  • Proof of address: tenancy agreement, utility bills
  • Where status is short, evidence of the renewal in progress

IRCC refusal letters tick reasons from a fixed list and cite paragraph 179(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. The officer's notes in the Global Case Management System give the fuller reasoning and can be requested.

Check now

Check your Canada visitor visa application before you apply

IRCC refuses temporary resident visas from a fixed list of reasons, printed as ticked lines in the refusal letter and expanded in the officer's notes. This page shows you the list and where your application currently sits against it.

Start your check