Canada Introduces Officer Decision Notes with Visa Refusals

Key Points  

• Canada begins including officer decision notes with visa refusal letters to enhance transparency and help applicants understand outcomes 

Canada Application Refusal Transparency  

Canada will now proactively attach officer decision notes to refusal letters for select immigration applications, starting July 29, 2025. These notes, written by the officer who made the final decision, aim to clarify the reasons behind refusals and reduce the need for separate information requests.  

This applies initially to temporary resident visas (excluding eTAs and TRPs), visitor records, study permits and work permits, including extensions. Applicants using the new IRCC Portal will not receive these notes yet, and some content may be redacted for privacy or security reasons.