{"id":1757,"date":"2026-11-07T05:39:31","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T05:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/?p=1757"},"modified":"2026-11-11T00:01:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T00:01:21","slug":"parent-sponsorship-refused-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/parent-sponsorship-refused-income\/","title":{"rendered":"Parent sponsorship refused over the minimum necessary income (MNI): your IAD appeal, judicial review and the 30- and 15-day deadlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 6, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2019, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The fix:<\/strong> an appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) if a visa officer refused the sponsorship, or judicial review in the Federal Court if the IAD has dismissed your appeal. The IAD can allow the appeal if the income was counted wrongly, or on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds even if you were short, while the Court checks whether the IAD’s decision was reasonable.<\/p>\n

The deadline:<\/strong> 30 days after you receive the officer’s decision and written reasons to appeal to the IAD (IAD Rules r.16(a)<\/a>), or 15 days from notice of the IAD’s decision to seek judicial review (IRPA s.72<\/a>). Reconsideration is discretionary, rarely changes the result and does not stop either clock.<\/p>\n

Why a lawyer:<\/strong> an IAD appeal is mostly legal argument from case law, which lawyers are trained for, and only a lawyer can take the IAD’s decision to the Federal Court. What is argued at the IAD is the record the Court reviews. 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 parent’s permanent residence because the officer found that you did not meet the minimum necessary income in one of the three tax years before you filed, your next step depends on where the file is. After a visa officer’s refusal, you, the sponsor, can appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division<\/a>, which must receive the notice of appeal within 30 days after you receive the decision and written reasons. If the IAD has already dismissed your appeal, the step is judicial review<\/a> in the Federal Court within 15 days, and only a lawyer can represent you there. This guide uses an income refusal for parents as the example, but I also review grandparent sponsorship refusals and income refusals for sponsors in Quebec.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, appeals these parent and grandparent sponsorship refusals to the IAD, and takes IAD decisions to the Federal Court, for sponsors across Canada; this guide is by Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha.<\/p>\n

What does a parent sponsorship refusal under R133 say?<\/h2>\n

In these refusals, the officer accepts that you filed the sponsorship and chose to continue, but finds that your income fell below the minimum necessary income, plus 30%, in at least one of the three tax years before you filed. The refusal comes in two stages: the Case Processing Centre (CPC) first writes that sponsorship eligibility is “Not Met”, and the visa office then refuses your parent’s PR visa, which is the decision you appeal. The notes show which tax year failed, so that year is the place to start.<\/p>\n

You will often see phrases like these in the refusal letter:<\/p>\n