Published
Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Updated November 10, 2026: section 16 of the Act and the Federal Court’s 2026 decisions in Guarin and Parra checked that day.
The fix: before a decision, send what you have and ask in writing for more time. After a refusal, judicial review if you did respond or never received the request; otherwise a new application.
The deadline: 15 days if you are in Canada, 60 days if outside, from the refusal (IRPA s.72). A reconsideration request does not stop this clock.
Why a lawyer: reconsideration is discretionary and rarely granted. Choosing between the Federal Court and a fresh application has to happen within days. Why a lawyer
The lawyers who review these refusals
Sundeep S. GrewalBarrister and Solicitor
Prabhpreet Kaur SanghaBarrister and Solicitor
Pardeep S. GrewalBarrister and SolicitorAbout our lawyers
Sundeep S. Grewal founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.
Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha focuses on refugee claims, immigration appeals, inadmissibility, detention reviews and Federal Court cases, and has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars and the National Immigration Conference.
Pardeep S. Grewal is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.
If IRCC asked for more documents and you missed the deadline, the officer can decide your application on what is in the file, which usually means a refusal. If the deadline has not passed yet, or passed only days ago and no decision has been made, send everything you have now and ask in writing for more time for anything missing, with proof of why. If you have already been refused, the choice is between judicial review, which works best where you did respond or never got the request, and a new, complete application. Asking IRCC to reconsider is possible but discretionary, and it does not stop the court deadline.
Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, answers IRCC document requests and takes refusals to the Federal Court; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.
Leave your details and our team will contact you to arrange a time with a lawyer. Or call (778) 598-3785.
Thank you, we have your request
A member of our team will contact you to arrange a time. If your matter is urgent, call us at (778) 598-3785, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Why can IRCC refuse for this?
Under section 16(1) of the Act, you must produce “all relevant evidence and documents that the officer reasonably requires.” If you don’t, the officer can refuse under section 16(1), or simply decide that you have not shown you meet the requirements. See our guide on section 16(1) refusals.
Why this needs a lawyer
One lawyer, one file, every step:
- a late response and extension request that shows why you need more time;
- judicial review within 15 or 60 days if you are refused;
- a new application that fixes the gap, if that is faster.
Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only lawyers can appear for you in the Federal Court.
Reconsideration is often suggested by people who cannot represent you in the Federal Court. It is discretionary, rarely changes the result and does not stop the deadline.
What are my options?
- Not yet refused: upload what you have, explain what is missing and why, and ask for a specific extra period, with proof (for example, a police certificate appointment or a translator’s receipt).
- Refused, but you did respond: judicial review, with proof of the upload or email and its date.
- Refused, and you never received the request: gather evidence of that (inbox, spam folder, account messages) and decide quickly between court and a new application.
- A new application with every document, if the refusal was fair.
- Reconsideration request. Discretionary, rarely granted and does not stop the court deadline.
What has the Federal Court said?
“I never got the email” is hard to prove. In Guarin v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 1321, a child care provider’s permanent residence application was refused after IRCC emailed her representative a request for identity documents. She said the email never arrived and asked IRCC to reconsider. The officer relied on IRCC’s records showing the email was sent to the correct address and refused. On October 28, 2026, the Court dismissed her challenge: reconsideration decisions are “highly discretionary and entitled to deference.”
Real efforts to comply should be weighed. In Parra v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 1300, a parent sponsorship was rejected as incomplete after the representative twice sent the requested forms to the wrong IRCC email address. On October 23, 2026, the Court set aside the refusal to reconsider, because the officer did not engage with the evidence of good-faith, timely attempts to comply.
The lesson I take from these cases is to keep proof of everything you send and every message you receive, and to act before the deadline, not after a refusal.
Missed document requests at a glance
| Situation | Best next step | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline coming, document not ready | Send what you have and ask for more time in writing | IRPA s.16(1) |
| Refused, you responded on time | Judicial review with proof of the upload | IRPA s.72 |
| Refused, you never received the request | Evidence of non-receipt; court or new application | Guarin, 2026 FC 1321 |
| Reconsideration | Discretionary; does not stop the deadline | Guarin; Parra |
| Court deadline | 15 days in Canada; 60 days outside | IRPA s.72(2)(b) |
Worked example: before the deadline
Example. A worker applying for permanent residence is asked on Monday, October 5, 2026 for a police certificate within 30 days, by Wednesday, November 4. The foreign police office gives her an appointment for late November. On October 28 she uploads the appointment confirmation and her application receipt, explains the delay, and asks for 45 more days. The officer now has a reason on file to wait.
Mistakes I have seen
- I have seen requests go to an agent’s email address that no one checked.
- I have seen people wait until the document was ready, past the deadline, without telling IRCC anything.
- I have seen people send reconsideration requests while the court deadline ran out.
Frequently asked questions
Can IRCC give me more time?
Yes, officers can, but you have to ask before the decision and show why you need it.
Where should I look for the request?
Your IRCC account messages, your email inbox and spam folder, and any representative’s email.
Is this the same as an application returned as incomplete?
No. A returned application was never accepted for processing. A missed document request usually ends in a refusal. See our guide on returned applications.
Related guides
See our guides on section 16(1) refusals, what each IRCC letter means and an application returned as incomplete.
What should I do right now?
Find the request and its deadline. If the deadline has not passed, send what you have and ask for more time today. If you have been refused, write down the date and count 15 or 60 days.
Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.
Ready to book? Open the booking form ↑
Sources (official)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 16 (current to October 19, 2026) and s. 72
- Guarin v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 1321 (October 28, 2026)
- Parra v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 1300 (October 23, 2026)
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.