For Immediate Release
Source: Ackah Business Immigration Law
August 23, 2018 10:00 MT
Soaring Canada Temporary Resident Visa Refusal Rates Negatively Impacts Tourism and the Economy
CALGARY, AB— The rate at which Canada rejects Foreign Nationals applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Visitor Visa has increased to more than one-in-four in 2018, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). “This has a concerning impact for the tourism industry and the overall economy of Canada, as this deters people from wanting to come to Canada as visitors,” says Evelyn Ackah, a lawyer practicing business immigration law exclusively since 2000 and Founder and Managing Lawyer of Ackah Business Immigration Law.
In 2017, nearly 600,000 Visitor Visa applications were denied, which equates to more than a quarter of all Visitor Visa applications. The number of refusals has steadily increased from 18 percent in 2012 to 21 percent in 2016. Early 2018 figures suggest the number of refusals is still increasing and applicants are likely to see their applications denied with projects of a 30 percent refusal rate in the first quarter of the year.
According to a Globe and Mail newspaper report, published on July 8 and data obtained by IRCC, both the number of Visitor Visa applications for purposes including tourism, school, business, conferences and family visits and the number of refusals has increased significantly since 2012. In 2017, there were over 2.3 million visitor applications filed.
The refusal rate for student visa applications was even higher — increasing from 26% in 2012 to 33% in 2017.
“This is significant for the Canadian economy. It's really showing that the government policy is changing as it relates to visitor visas and temporary visa status,” says Ackah.
“It's becoming much more difficult to try to do the TRV application on your own. I highly encourage you to consider working with a legal professional - a lawyer who understands immigration law to give yourself the best opportunity for a successful visa application. Although of course we can never guarantee it, knowing the risk of refusal and that refusal a second time weakens your application.”
The data reveals that it is becoming more difficult to get a Canadian Visitor Visa approved. Refusal rates were highest for applicants from Africa and Middle East, with 75 percent of applications from Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan being rejected in the last two years. Applicants who are applying to attend conferences and business meetings are also facing refusals. As well, it looks like Venezuelan applicants are added to that list of higher refusal rates given their political instability and humanitarian crisis.
In many of the circumstances where a Visitor Visa is refused, it is because the Canadian Visa Officer is not satisfied that they would leave Canada at the end of their stay. The Visa Officer may also have concerns about the applicant’s ability to demonstrate they have sufficient funds to support their stay or their familial connections in Canada and the economic and political stability in their home country.
To ensure a successful Visitor Visa Application Ackah recommends applicants contact an immigration lawyer to assist with the application to ensure accuracy and completeness.
