Canada visa refused? What to do next

For visitor visas, study permits and work permits, there is no appeal. IRCC says this directly: under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act there is no formal process to appeal decisions on temporary residence applications. That leaves three real paths. Most people will use the first one, but you should decide on purpose, not by default.

Only if you can answer the refusal reasons with something new. IRCC says you can apply again at any time unless your letter says otherwise, but it also warns that applying again with the same information, even through a consultant or agent, will likely not change the decision.

Sending the same file again quickly is a costly mistake. The form asks about past refusals, so the officer will know about the first one. If nothing has changed, the most likely result is a second refusal, and two refusals in a row are harder to explain than one.

Before you reapply, you should be able to say, for each reason in your letter:

• what the officer was not convinced about,
• what new document or fact answers that doubt, and
• where in the new application the officer will find it.

If you cannot fill in those three points yet, read the guides to each refusal reason first.

Read two things: the refusal letter and the officer decision notes. Since 29 July 2025, IRCC sends officer decision notes together with refusal letters for visitor visas, super visas, transit visas, visitor records, study permits and work permits, including extensions. The notes are where the real reasons are.

The letter itself usually lists short standard sentences, for example that the officer is not satisfied you will leave Canada at the end of your stay. Those sentences name the legal test you failed. The notes explain which facts in your file led the officer there. Some parts can be removed for privacy or security reasons.

If you did not receive notes, the refusal is older, or you want your whole file, you can ask for it through a Privacy Act request. It is free and open to people outside Canada. See our guide to GCMS notes and officer decision notes.

Federal Court is for decisions that were unreasonable or unfair, not for adding new evidence. The Court looks at what the officer had in front of them. If the officer ignored a document you sent, misread your facts, or gave reasons that do not make sense, judicial review may be the right path.

The time limits come from section 72 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act: 15 days for a matter arising in Canada and 60 days for a matter arising outside Canada, counted from the day you were told about the decision or became aware of it. A judge can extend this only for special reasons.

Judicial review has two stages. First a judge decides whether to grant leave, meaning permission to proceed. There is no appeal if leave is refused. If leave is granted and you win, the Court usually sends the file back to be decided again. It does not approve your visa itself. Compare the paths in Reapply or go to Federal Court?

Start with the guide for what was refused, then read the guide for each reason in your letter.

By application type

• Study permit refusedWhy study permits get refused and how to build a stronger new application.
• Visitor visa refusedWhat a visitor visa refusal means and what to change before you apply again.
• PGWP refusedYour status, your job and your options after a PGWP refusal inside Canada.

By refusal reason

• "Not satisfied you will leave Canada"The most common refusal sentence, and the evidence that answers it.
• Insufficient fundsWhen the officer doubts your money is enough, available or real.
• Purpose of visit"Not consistent with a temporary stay": what the officer could not believe.
• Family tiesFamily in Canada, family at home, and how officers weigh both.
• Study plan not reasonableWhen the program does not fit your education, work or career plan.

Next steps and deadlines

• GCMS notes and officer decision notesHow to get the officer’s full reasons, who can ask, cost and timelines.
• Reapply or go to Federal Court?Deadlines of 15 or 60 days, what the Court can do, and when to see a lawyer.

Graduated in Canada? Our PGWP guides cover eligibility before you apply. Applying from a specific country? See our country guides for local documents and processing times.

The biggest risks are acting too fast, hiding the refusal, and fixing the wrong problem. Each one can turn a single refusal into a pattern that is harder to overcome.

• Do not hide the refusal. The visitor visa guide shows the form asks whether you have ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry or ordered to leave Canada or any other country. Answering “no” when the answer is “yes” can be treated as misrepresentation, which carries a five-year inadmissibility period under section 40 of the Act.
• Do not use fake or borrowed documents. Temporary bank deposits, fake job letters or invented sponsors are a common cause of misrepresentation findings.
• Do not change your story. If your second application tells a different story from your first without explaining why, the officer will notice.
• Do not miss the Court deadline by accident. Reapplying does not pause the 15 or 60 day limit.
• Be careful with paid agents who promise approval. IRCC says hiring a representative does not increase your chances of approval.

For reapplying, a licensed consultant (RCIC) or a lawyer can review your file. For Federal Court, you can act for yourself or be represented by a lawyer. Licensed consultants cannot represent you in Federal Court.

If you send us your refusal through the form below, we pass it to an immigration lawyer we work with. They can tell you whether your case is a reapplication case or a court case, and how much time you have left. You do not need to decide which path you want before you contact us.