A20(1)(b) — you must prove you hold the right visa and will leave Canada

You can ask IRCC for your own notes yourself, free. Or we can do it for you: CAIPS Notes, ₹499C$29US$19, GST includedthe total we charge. See what is included.

What does A20(1)(b) 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: A20(1)(b) · 20(1)(b) · paragraph 20(1)(b) of the IRPA · IRPA 20(1)(b)

What does A20(1)(b) mean for you?

This is where the burden of proof comes from. Burden of proof means who has to prove something. Here, it is you.

The law says you “must establish” that you will leave. The officer does not have to prove that you will stay.

That is why a file with nothing wrong can still fail. If it does not show you will leave, it does not meet the test.

Why do officers write A20(1)(b)?

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

• A file with no real proof of ties at home
• Relying on promises in a letter instead of documents

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.

• Move from claiming to proving. Every tie you mention should have a document behind it

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, ₹499C$29US$19, GST includedthe total we charge. Already have your notes? We can give you a plain-English written reading for ₹699C$39US$25, GST includedthe total we charge.

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.