{"id":1554,"date":"2026-10-24T18:21:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T18:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/express-entry-refused-pesticide-certificate-coq\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T15:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:21:08","slug":"express-entry-refused-pesticide-certificate-coq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/express-entry-refused-pesticide-certificate-coq\/","title":{"rendered":"Express Entry refused over a pesticide certificate of qualification (CoQ): your options and the 15-day deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed October 24, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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The fix:<\/strong> judicial review in the Federal Court. A judge can set the refusal aside and send your application back to a different officer.<\/p>\n

The deadline:<\/strong> 15 days from notice of the refusal if you are in Canada, 60 days if outside (IRPA s. 72). Asking IRCC to reconsider does not stop this clock.<\/p>\n

Why a lawyer:<\/strong> only a lawyer can take this to the Federal Court. Immigration consultants cannot represent you there. Why a lawyer<\/a><\/p>\n

Book a consultation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The lawyers who review these refusals<\/p>\n

\"SundeepSundeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PrabhpreetPrabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PardeepPardeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAbout our lawyers<\/summary>\n
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Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.<\/p>\n

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/a><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

If IRCC refused your Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class) application because the officer rejected your pesticide applicator certificate as a certificate of qualification (CoQ) and removed your 50 CRS points, you may be able to challenge the decision in the Federal Court through judicial review<\/a>. The application must be filed within 15 days<\/strong> of being notified of the refusal if you are in Canada (60 days if you are outside Canada), and only a lawyer can represent you there. This guide uses Nova Scotia certificates as an example, but we review refusals involving certificates from British Columbia, Alberta and other provinces too.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, challenges these CoQ refusals in the Federal Court for Express Entry applicants across Canada; this guide is by Sundeep S. Grewal.<\/p>\n

What does a CoQ refusal under 11.2(1)(b) say?<\/h2>\n

In these refusals, the officer accepts that you hold a provincial pesticide certificate and that NOC 73202 (Pest controllers and fumigators) is on IRCC’s list of eligible trade occupations. The officer then finds that the certificate mainly authorizes you to apply pesticides and is not a certificate of qualification in a trade under section 26 of the Ministerial Instructions respecting the Express Entry system<\/strong>. The officer removes the points, finds that your score is now below the cut-off for your draw, and refuses the application under paragraph 11.2(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You will often see phrases like these in the Officer Decision Notes:<\/p>\n