{"id":2044,"date":"2026-11-10T17:53:38","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T17:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/application-returned-incomplete-ircc\/"},"modified":"2026-11-11T01:29:28","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T01:29:28","slug":"application-returned-incomplete-ircc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/application-returned-incomplete-ircc\/","title":{"rendered":"IRCC returned your application as incomplete: your options and the 15-day deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 10, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Updated November 10, 2026: sections 10 and 182 of the Regulations and IRCC’s restoration instructions (modified May 1, 2026) checked that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The fix:<\/strong> usually a new, complete application right away, and judicial review in the Federal Court if the return was wrong. A judge can set aside an unreasonable return and send the application back to be processed.<\/p>\n

The deadline:<\/strong> 15 days from notice of the return if you are in Canada, 60 days if outside (IRPA s.72<\/a>). If the application was to extend your status, the 90 days to restore it started when your old permit expired, not when the file came back.<\/p>\n

Why a lawyer:<\/strong> only a lawyer can take a return to the Federal Court, and the status clock may already be nearly over. Why a lawyer<\/a><\/p>\n

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

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The lawyers who handle these files<\/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 returned your application because a form, signature, document or part of the fee was missing, the application is treated as if it was never made. That matters most if you applied to extend a study or work permit: a returned application gives you no maintained status, so you may have been out of status since your old permit expired, and the 90-day restoration window started then. The fix is usually a fast new application, and, where the return itself was wrong, judicial review<\/a> within 15 days in Canada or 60 days outside. This guide covers temporary and permanent residence applications, including sponsorships.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, restores lost status and challenges wrongful returns in the Federal Court for applicants across Canada; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.<\/p>\n

What does a return under section 10 say?<\/h2>\n

A return is not a refusal. The officer has not looked at whether you qualify. The officer has decided that the application did not meet the basic requirements in section 10 of the Regulations: the right form, a signature, the required information and documents, and proof of the full fee. Under section 12, an application that does not meet them is returned.<\/p>\n

You will often see phrases like these in return letters:<\/p>\n