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 12, 2026: IRCC’s visitor visa refusal guidance and the Federal Court decisions cited checked that day.
The reason: “your current employment situation does not demonstrate that you will leave Canada”
The fix: judicial review if the officer ignored your work or income evidence, or a new application with the records officers expect.
The deadline: 60 days from notice of the refusal if you’re outside Canada, 15 days if you’re in Canada (IRPA s. 72). Reconsideration doesn’t stop the clock.
Why a lawyer: only a lawyer can take this to the Federal Court, and the officer’s notes decide whether court or a new application is right. 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.
When a refusal ticks your “current employment situation”, the officer wasn’t satisfied your work or income would bring you home. It’s common for business owners whose files lack business records, people between jobs, and retirees. Being self-employed or retired isn’t a reason to refuse on its own: the question is whether your obligations and income at home are shown. The Federal Court has upheld a refusal where a business owner didn’t file the business documents the visa office required, and set aside refusals where officers ignored employment and property evidence that was in the file.
Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, challenges visitor visa refusals over employment in the Federal Court; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.
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What to show, by situation
| Situation | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Employee | Employer letter with job, salary and approved leave dates; pay records |
| Self-employed | Business registration, tax filings, business bank statements, proof of operations; the visa office’s own document list |
| Retired | Pension statements, property, savings, family obligations |
| Between jobs or a student | An offer or enrolment to return to, and family or financial support |
What the Federal Court has said
- A business owner who didn’t file the self-employment documents the visa office required lost (Okoroafor v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 836).
- Ignoring full-time employment and property at home made a refusal unreasonable (Namavari v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2025 FC 1628).
Why this needs a lawyer
One lawyer, one file, every step:
- getting the officer’s decision notes and reading them against what you filed;
- deciding whether the refusal belongs in court or in a better application;
- filing judicial review in the Federal Court within the deadline;
- if reapplying is better, building the new file around the officer’s exact concern.
The choice between court and reapplying is a legal judgment about whether the officer made a reviewable error. Getting it wrong costs either the court deadline or a second refusal on file.
Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only a lawyer can take a refusal to the Federal Court. An immigration consultant cannot file or argue it there.
Mistakes I have seen
- Self-employed applicants sending only a personal bank statement.
- An employer letter without leave dates.
- Retirees not showing pension or property.
Frequently asked questions
I’m retired. Will I be refused?
Not because of retirement itself. Show your pension, property and obligations at home.
Does the visa office have its own document list?
Yes. Missing items on it can be decisive, as in Okoroafor.
What should I do right now?
Note the refusal date, request the officer’s notes, and gather the work, business or pension records listed above.
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Sources (official)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 179
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 72
- IRCC: officer’s decision notes
- IRCC: understanding your refusal letter
- Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65
- Okoroafor v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2026 FC 836
- Namavari v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2025 FC 1628
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.