A16(1) — you must answer truthfully and give the documents asked for

You can ask IRCC for your own notes yourself, free. Or we can do it for you: CAIPS Notes, ₹799, GST included. See what is included.

What does A16(1) say?

IRCC tells its officers that refusal letters “should refer to the appropriate legislative provision(s)”. So the code on your letter points to a rule in the law. These are its exact words.

You may also see it written as: A16(1) · 16(1) · subsection 16(1) of the IRPA · section 16(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act · IRPA 16(1)

What does A16(1) mean for you?

A16(1) sets two duties for every applicant. First, answer every question truthfully. Second, give the documents and evidence the officer reasonably asks for.

If a refusal cites A16(1), the officer saw a problem with an answer or document. For example, an answer seemed untrue, or a requested document did not arrive.

The law says you must produce “all relevant evidence and documents that the officer reasonably requires”. So send what the officer asks for. If a document does not exist, explain why in writing.

IRCC tells its officers to say which documents may be needed to answer their concerns.

An officer may cite A16(1) together with A41. A41 says a foreign national who breaks a rule of the Act is inadmissible. “Inadmissible” means not allowed to enter or stay in Canada.

An untrue answer about an important fact can also lead to A40, misrepresentation. The law then makes you inadmissible for five years (A40(2)(a)). If A40 appears in your notes, get legal advice first.

Section 16 also says you must come for an examination, such as an interview, if asked. For a foreign national, evidence includes photos and fingerprints. You must also do a medical exam if the rules require one.

What might your notes show?

Every file is different. Your decision note or GCMS notes may record:

• The date the officer asked for documents, and what was asked for
• Whether a reply arrived, and when
• What the officer thought of your documents or your answers
• Any link the officer made to A41 or A40

IRCC may hold back some lines.

Why do officers write A16(1)?

These situations can lead to it. Your notes, or the officer's decision note, may name the one in your case.

• A request for documents went to an old email or an agent, and nobody replied
• The reply came after the deadline in the letter
• Some of the documents asked for were missing, with no explanation
• An answer on a form or at an interview did not match your documents
• A form question answered wrongly, for example about a past refusal
• Not giving fingerprints and a photo, or not doing a medical exam, when asked

What can you fix before you apply again?

Answer the concern the officer actually named. Changing everything else at once can make a file look staged.

• Get your GCMS notes. They can show what the officer asked for, and when
• Check the email address and IRCC account on your file. Make sure you see every message
• Answer every question truthfully, even when the true answer looks bad
• Send every document asked for. If one does not exist, explain why in a short letter, with proof if you can
• Keep a copy of everything you send, and the date you sent it
• If your notes also mention A40, speak to a Canadian immigration lawyer or an RCIC first

How can you see the officer's real reason?

IRCC now sends the officer's decision note with most refusals. That covers most temporary-resident refusals since 29 July 2025. It also covers most permanent-residence refusals since 26 May 2026.

IRCC sends the note with the refusal letter, to you or to your representative. It may remove some parts.

Your GCMS notes can show more. GCMS is IRCC's case system, and the notes are what officers wrote in it. They can include the case history and earlier notes. IRCC may hold back some lines.

You can ask IRCC for your own records yourself. It is free, from anywhere in the world, under Canada's Privacy Act. Since 13 July 2022, that right is “extended to include all individuals outside Canada”. See how to do it yourself.

Or we can file the records request for you: CAIPS Notes, ₹799, GST included. Already have your notes? We can give you a plain-English written reading for ₹1,499.

General information, not legal advice.Every file is different, and nothing here predicts the result of an application. We are not Canadian lawyers or RCICs. Our licence is from Punjab, India; it is not a Canadian licence. For a misrepresentation finding (A40), speak to a Canadian immigration lawyer or an RCIC first.