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Permanent Residency

How to Address Common Reasons for Permanent Residency Application Rejections

By January 30, 2025February 2nd, 2025No Comments

Unfortunately, thousands of individuals receive an unwelcome notification in their My CIC account every year informing them that their Express Entry-submitted applications for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) have been rejected or cancelled. 

Potential candidates can improve their chances of success and prevent traps by being aware of the typical causes of these denials.

  • Unfinished Application

    The most frequent cause of PR rejection is an application that was not completed. An unequivocal rejection may result from omitted sections, unanswered queries, or missing papers.

Solution: 

Before submitting your application, make sure you thoroughly read the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) application guide. Verify again that all necessary paperwork and supporting documentation are attached. Ask for clarification or legal counsel if you have any questions regarding any part of the application. Paying close attention to detail is essential since the Canadian immigration system is unforgiving about incomplete submissions.

  • Failure to Meet Deadlines

    PR applications require careful consideration of deadlines. Rejection frequently follows late submission of necessary paperwork or missing application deadlines. Knowing every deadline connected to your application procedure is indispensable.

Solution:

Use an electronic calendar or a digital reminder system to record all significant dates. Being organized with deadlines is absolutely essential if your PR application is time-sensitive, like those related to job offers or temporary visas. To help with deadline management and make sure no important dates are missed, some candidates decide to work with immigration lawyers.

  • Not Enough Evidence of Financial Stability

    Canada requires applicants to demonstrate that they have adequate financial resources to maintain themselves and their families following immigration. The PR application may be rejected if there is insufficient evidence of funds.

Solution:

Extensive documentation is essential to fulfilling this requirement. Your minimal financial criteria, as specified by the IRCC, should be amply demonstrated by bank statements, investment certificates, or other official financial papers. To make sure the amount stays above the minimal requirement, applicants should also account for currency swings when supplying financial documentation from outside of Canada. Adding the most recent documentation to the application is essential if your financial status has changed since it was submitted.

  • Medical Disqualification

    For prospective permanent residents, Canada has rigorous health criteria. If it is found that any relative or applicant suffers from a health condition that jeopardizes public safety or overloads Canada’s social and health systems, the application for permanent residency might be turned down.

Solution:

Go over the list of conditions that can result in medical inadmissibility before taking the required medical exam. Engage an immigration lawyer early in the process if you or a family member has a pre-existing medical issue. There are exemptions available for certain applications, and you might be able to show that your condition won’t put the public at risk or result in undue demands by presenting extra medical proof.

  • Criminal History

    A criminal record could exclude an applicant from entering Canada, even for relatively minor infractions. Criminal inadmissibility is one of the trickiest problems to handle in PR applications and needs to be addressed carefully.

Solution:

It’s critical to be transparent about any criminal history you may have. If not addressed immediately, you risk automatic denial. Criminal rehabilitation may be possible for you depending on the type of crime you were convicted of and the length of time since. Consulting a lawyer who concentrates on inadmissibility can greatly improve your chances of settling this dilemma.

  • Not Meeting Residency Requirements

    Failure to fulfill Canada’s residency requirements may lead to the rejection of applications for PR renewal. Permanent inhabitants of Canada must spend at least 730 days there over the course of five years.

Solution:

Be certain that you can offer documentation attesting to your actual presence in Canada for the necessary duration. This might apply to tax returns, travel itinerary data, and passport stamps. Residency requirements can occasionally be waived, such as when a person travels overseas with their spouse who is a Canadian citizen or works for a Canadian business outside of Canada. These exclusions must be thoroughly recorded and justified.

  • Misrepresentation

    Whether deliberate or inadvertent, lying on your PR application is a felony that carries a five-year application suspension and rejection. Lying on your application or leaving out important information are examples of misrepresentation.

Solution:

If you’re applying for permanent residency, it’s essential to be honest. For consistency, always double-check your application. Before submitting, get expert counsel if you have any questions about a specific requirement or query. Being honest about prior immigration history is crucial since misrepresentation can involve mistakes in prior petitions. Prior to the processing of your application, if you think you made a mistake, act quickly to fix it.

  • Inadequate Professional Credentials

    Applying to various PR programs that operate under the Express Entry system requires applicants to demonstrate that they have enough work experience in a particular profession. If it is discovered that the qualifications are incomplete or not adequately recorded, the application may be rejected.

Solution:

Make sure the job experience you have fits the standards of the immigration program you have selected. Giving job letters from previous employers that list your title, responsibilities, length of employment, and weekly hours worked is usually part of this. The National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes should correspond to the occupational duties you list. Self-employed people should also collect as much proof of their experience as they can, including contracts, invoices, and letters of recommendation.

  • Below-Required Level Language Test Score

    A language test, such as the IELTS or CELPIP, is required of applicants to the majority of PR programs in Canada in order to prove their fluency in either English or French. Your application may be denied if your language test results fall short of the required minimum.

Solution:

Consider retaking the language test before submitting your PR application if you have any reason to believe that your score may fall short of the minimum requirements. You can also increase your proficiency with a lot of other tools, such as language courses. Make sure your language exam results are current at the time of application, as this is another essential component. Results from expired tests are not accepted.

  • Ineligible Sponsorship for Family

    Applications submitted through the family sponsorship scheme may be rejected if either the sponsor or the applicant is ineligible. This can be the result of the sponsor’s inability to establish a real relationship or even their financial circumstances.

Solution:

Review the standards for family sponsorship with great care. Both sponsors and applicants should make sure they fulfill their financial commitments, and applicants should supply ample proof attesting to the validity of their relationship. Photographs, combined bank accounts, marriage licenses, and correspondence logs are examples of this. The veracity of the relationship should be indisputable in a well-written family sponsorship application.

Conclusion

While it can be discouraging to have your application for permanent residency denied, knowing the typical causes of such rejections and proactively addressing them will increase your chances of approval. A well-prepared application is necessary for handling more complicated matters like criminal histories and misrepresentation, as well as for meeting financial and medical requirements. Having legal counsel from an immigration lawyer with experience can make all the difference when navigating the difficult world of permanent residence applications. 

Citizenship Lawyer is here to help you overcome these barriers and realize your goal of becoming a permanent resident of Canada. With a thorough understanding of Canadian immigration law, the team can help you successfully cross the threshold and become a permanent resident.