CEC Refusal Reasons & Mitigation

IRCC lists work experience you can’t count (IRCC, Canadian Experience Class):

• • "you were studying full-time while you worked (co-op work terms also don’t count)"
• • "you were self-employed (some physicians can count their time spent self-employed)"
• • "you were a volunteer or an unpaid intern"
• • "you were not legally allowed to work in Canada"

IRCC lists, among the documents you may need when you create a profile, "proof of work experience (such as a reference or experience letter from an employer)" (IRCC, Express Entry documents).

Among the documents IRCC accepts as proof of employment or work experience: "reference letters from employers (with your job duties, dates you worked there, and salary)", "employment contracts", "pay stubs" and "tax documents (T4s, notices of assessment, and similar)" (IRCC, Supporting documents).

IRCC states: "Your invitation to apply is valid for 60 days only." (IRCC, Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry) We check each document against the requirements above before you submit.

IRPA s. 40(1) states: "A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible for misrepresentation (a) for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of this Act". (IRPA, s. 40)

IRPA s. 40(2)(a): "the permanent resident or the foreign national continues to be inadmissible for misrepresentation for a period of five years following, in the case of a determination outside Canada, a final determination of inadmissibility under subsection (1) or, in the case of a determination in Canada, the date the removal order is enforced".

IRPA s. 40(3): "A foreign national who is inadmissible under this section may not apply for permanent resident status during the period referred to in paragraph (2)(a)." (IRPA, s. 40)

See inadmissibility.

If you receive a procedural fairness letter, respond before the deadline stated in your letter. See our procedural fairness letter response page.

After a refusal, see reapplying after a refusal and refusal analysis. Book a consultation to review the refusal grounds and determine the appropriate next step.