Reasons for Canadian Visa Rejection

The specific reasons for Canadian visa rejection will be stated in the decision letter from the Canadian immigration agency. In general, Canada visa rejection may occur because the applicant did not satisfy all of the eligibility requirements for the Canadian immigration program that was applied for; the application was incomplete; application deadlines were not met; all of the required supporting documents were not provided; all of the required governmental fees were not paid; the applicant was inadmissible for criminal, security or health reasons; lack of adequate financial resources to support oneself and family in Canada; and misleading or false information was provided or relevant information was withheld.    

Reasons someone may be rejected for Canada permanent residency could include making false statements or failure to provide relevant information; not meeting the criteria for the Canadian immigration program that was applied for; criminal inadmissibility; security inadmissibility; health inadmissibility; not completing the application or forms fully or correctly; not providing all of the required supporting documents; not applying by the deadline; not paying the governmental fees; and not demonstrating proof of funds to support oneself and family while living in Canada.  

The chances of Canadian visa rejection will depend on various factors, such as the type of visa being applied for, the applicant’s country of citizenship, whether the applicant is eligible for the visa being applied for, whether the person applies for the visa correctly, whether they have adequate financial resources (if relevant) and whether the applicant is inadmissible for health, criminal or security reasons. The chances of Canada visa rejection are low for skilled foreign workers who apply for Canadian permanent residency through economic immigration programs, meet all of the eligibility requirements and complete the application process correctly.

If Canada visa rejection occurs, keep in mind that you may have other options available. First of all, pay close attention to the reasons for Canadian visa rejection that are provided in the decision letter from Canada’s immigration agency. In the event that the decision letter does not say that you cannot re-apply and if the reason for Canadian visa rejection is something that you might potentially remedy (for example, you didn’t include certain required supporting documents that you can provide or your application was incomplete, etc.), then you could possibly re-apply and this time address whatever the issue was as stated in the decision letter. If you simply were not eligible for a particular Canadian immigration program, you might check if you could meet the criteria for a different Canadian visa program. You may want to explore alternative options to immigrate to other countries, such as the UK, USA or Australia.   

Canada is known for being one of the world’s most immigrant-friendly countries, welcoming over 450,000 new immigrants per year, besides the hundreds of thousands of temporary foreign workers, international students and others who are issued Canadian visas each year through different programs. In general, visa rejection is low in Canada, but this will depend on which type of visa is being applied for, the country of citizenship, whether the applicant meets all of the criteria for the Canadian visa program being applied for, whether the application process is completed correctly, whether the applicant is inadmissible, etc. Canadian visa rejection is generally low for skilled foreign workers who apply for economic immigrant programs. 

This will depend on the reason for Canadian visa rejection, as stated in the decision letter. Unless the decision letter says that an individual cannot re-apply, it may be possible to re-apply for the Canadian visa and next time address the issue (if possible) that was stated in the decision letter as the reason for Canadian visa rejection. In the event that Canada visa rejection occurred because the applicant did not meet all of the eligibility criteria for the Canadian visa program, the person could try to address the issue(s) or, perhaps, apply for a different Canadian visa program that he or she is eligible for.

The success rate for skilled foreign workers who apply for a permanent resident visa to Canada in 2023 is good if they meet all of the criteria for the particular Canadian immigration program, they complete the application process correctly, they have adequate financial resources to support themselves and their family members after moving to Canada, and they are not inadmissible for health, criminal or security reasons, etc. A record 465,000 immigrants are expected to be approved for Canadian permanent residency in 2023 and about 60% of them will be skilled foreign workers and their family members.

The amount of time for a Canada visa to be approved will depend on the particular Canadian visa program that is being applied for. Skilled foreign workers who apply for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry system can generally expect to receive a decision within six months after they submit their complete application for permanent residency in Canada, however, the entire process from start to finish takes approximately 12-18 months.