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 87.302 of the Act, sections 180.1, 209, 209.01, 243.1 and 243.2 of the Regulations and IRCC’s Bill C-12 announcement checked that day.
The fix: find out which power was used and why. An individual cancellation can be challenged by judicial review, or answered with a new application that deals with the reason. A group cancellation under Bill C-12 depends on the terms of the order.
The deadline: 15 days from the cancellation to apply to the Federal Court if you are in Canada, 60 days if outside (IRPA s.72).
Why a lawyer: a cancellation can end your plans to travel or work overnight, and the reasons are often one line. Getting the officer’s notes and choosing between court and a new application is a judgment call. 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 told you your visitor visa, work permit or study permit has been cancelled, it used one of two kinds of power. Most cancellations are individual: an officer decides that your document should not stand, for reasons listed in the Regulations. Since Bill C-12 received royal assent on March 26, 2026, IRCC also has a power to “cancel, suspend or change a large group of immigration documents” when it is in the public interest. The two work differently, and the right response depends on which one applies to you.
Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, challenges cancellations and refusals in the Federal Court and prepares new applications; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.
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Why can a visa or permit be cancelled?
A visitor visa can be cancelled by an officer under IRPR s.180.1 if, among other grounds:
- you are inadmissible;
- you did not meet, or no longer meet, the requirements for the visa;
- the officer has reasonable grounds to believe you will not leave Canada at the end of your stay;
- you were later refused an eTA, a work permit, a study permit or another visa;
- the visa was issued because of an administrative error.
A work permit can be cancelled if it was issued because of an administrative error (s.209.01). It is cancelled automatically when you become a permanent resident (s.209.02).
A removal order cancels your visa, eTA and temporary resident permit when it is made (s.243.1), and your work and study permits when it becomes enforceable (s.243.2).
A group order under Bill C-12 (IRPA s.87.302): the Governor in Council (Cabinet) may, in the public interest, cancel, vary or suspend documents such as visas and work permits, or impose conditions on them. IRCC says the public interest covers fraud, administrative errors, and public health, safety or national security. An order must be published in the Canada Gazette within 23 days after it is made. The power does not include granting permanent resident status or granting or extending study or work permits, and IRCC says the group powers do not themselves revoke immigration status or affect asylum claims.
Why this needs a lawyer
One lawyer, one file, every step:
- finding out which power was used and getting the officer’s notes;
- judicial review within the deadline if the cancellation was unfair or unreasonable;
- a new application that answers the reason;
- advice on your status in Canada while this is sorted out.
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.
What are my options?
- Get the reasons. Ask for the officer’s notes if they were not included.
- Judicial review if the officer relied on a wrong fact, ignored your evidence or did not give you a fair chance to respond.
- A new application that deals with the reason, for example a fresh visa application after a later study permit refusal is resolved.
- For a group order, read the published order: it sets out whose documents are affected and what happens next.
Cancellation at a glance
| Document | Main cancellation grounds | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Inadmissible, requirements not met, won’t leave, later refusal, error | IRPR s.180.1 |
| Work permit | Administrative error; becoming a PR | IRPR ss.209.01, 209.02 |
| Visa, eTA, permits | Removal order made or enforceable | IRPR ss.243.1, 243.2 |
| A large group of documents | Public interest order made by Cabinet | IRPA s.87.302 (Bill C-12, royal assent March 26, 2026) |
| Court deadline | 15 days in Canada; 60 days outside | IRPA s.72(2)(b) |
Worked example: the visa cancelled after a study permit refusal
Example. A woman overseas holds a multiple-entry visitor visa. She applies for a study permit and is refused. On Monday, November 16, 2026, IRCC tells her the visitor visa has been cancelled because of the later refusal. Her lawyer gets the notes, and they decide whether to challenge the study permit refusal in court or to deal with it in a new application before she applies for a visitor visa again.
Mistakes I have seen
- I have seen people travel to the airport on a visa they did not know was cancelled.
- I have seen people reapply at once without dealing with the reason.
- I have seen the court deadline pass while people waited for an answer to a webform.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get a chance to respond before my visa is cancelled?
It depends on how it is cancelled. A public interest order under Bill C-12 does not require individual notice or a chance to respond before it is made. If an officer is considering cancelling your visa individually, whether you must be given a chance to respond depends on the reason and the circumstances of your case.
I’m in Canada and my visa was cancelled. Do I have to leave?
Cancelling your visitor visa does not, by itself, end your temporary resident status or shorten your authorized stay. If you leave Canada and need a visa to return, you will need a new one. If your work or study permit is separately cancelled, you must stop working or studying unless you have another legal authorization to continue.
Has IRCC used the Bill C-12 group power yet?
Any order must be published in the Canada Gazette. Check there, or ask us to check for you.
Can I ask IRCC to reverse it?
You can ask, but it is no substitute for protecting the court deadline.
Related guides
See our guides on a refusal made by mistake, being refused entry at the airport or border and misrepresentation for an undisclosed refusal.
What should I do right now?
Write down the date of the cancellation notice and count the deadline. Don’t travel on the cancelled document. Get the officer’s notes and advice.
Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.
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Sources (official)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 180.1, ss. 209 to 209.02 and ss. 243.1 and 243.2
- IRCC: New immigration and asylum measures from Bill C-12 have become law (March 27, 2026)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 87.302 and s. 72
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.