At Heron Law Offices, we recently helped a family achieve what initially seemed impossible: securing approval for their child’s study permit just two months after an initial refusal.
The Challenge
As many applicants know, study permits are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in today’s climate. Canada’s current policies around temporary residents have sharply reduced approval rates, particularly for minor applicants who wish to attend primary or secondary school in Canada.
In this case, the Applicant’s parents, highly educated, multilingual professionals, were under the impression that submitting a study permit application would be a straightforward process, as suggested on the IRCC website. Unfortunately, reality proved otherwise: their child’s initial application was refused, with the officer listing a lot of problems with the application.
Our Approach
When the family came to us, one of our lawyers, Dr. Siavashpour, reviewed both the refusal decision and the original application package. We explained that while the officer’s decision contained some questionable reasoning, the application itself also had weaknesses.
These shortcomings might not appear “mandatory” in IRCC’s published instructions, but in our experience, their absence often provides officers with an easy reason to refuse an application.
We presented the family with two strategic options:
- Challenge the refusal in Federal Court, a process that can take more than a year and carries significant risk if the application package itself was incomplete; or
- Prepare and submit a stronger new application, addressing all weaknesses and providing the comprehensive supporting documents that we know officers look for.
The family chose the second option. Working closely with them, our team rebuilt the application package and resubmitted it within just two weeks of the initial refusal.
The Result
The outcome was a success: the study permit was approved five days before the start of the Applicant’s school term in Canada.
Key Takeaways for Applicants
We share this story not just to highlight our firm’s success, but to help other families considering study permit applications:
- Court challenges are not always the best strategy. If the original application package has weaknesses, a judicial review may only confirm the refusal after a long wait.
- Each application requires a tailored approach. In today’s environment, even seemingly “minor” omissions can result in refusal. A strong, well-prepared package is essential.
Submitting a study permit application is no longer a “straightforward” process. Depending on your budget, we strongly recommend working with a Canadian immigration lawyer or asking a lawyer to review your application package before you submit it. We offer both of these services to our clients.
If you or your family need assistance with any immigration or refugee matters in Canada, contact Heron Law Offices today.
