{"id":2482,"date":"2026-11-12T20:52:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T20:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/visitor-visa-refused-travel-history\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T20:52:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T20:52:59","slug":"visitor-visa-refused-travel-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/visitor-visa-refused-travel-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Visitor visa refused over travel history: first-time travellers and your options"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 12, 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

Updated November 12, 2026: IRCC’s visitor visa refusal guidance and the Federal Court decisions cited checked that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The reason:<\/strong> a refusal “based on your travel history”<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/strong> judicial review if the officer relied on a lack of travel and ignored your ties, or a new application that shifts the weight to your ties at home.<\/p>\n

The deadline:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

Why a lawyer:<\/strong> 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<\/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

A refusal “based on your travel history” usually means you haven’t travelled much, so the officer had no record of you leaving other countries on time. Many first-time travellers are refused this way. A lack of travel is a weak factor on its own: it shows nothing either way, so the officer still has to weigh your ties, finances and purpose. Where the officer leans on travel history and ignores everything else, the refusal may be challengeable. Where the rest of the file is thin, the fix is to strengthen it, because you can’t create travel history overnight.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, challenges visitor visa refusals over travel history in the Federal Court; this guide is by Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha.<\/p>\n

What the officer is saying<\/h2>\n

There was little or no record of past trips and returns to support the finding that you’d leave. See how officers decide whether you’ll leave<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shifting the weight<\/h2>\n