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Reason 16 of 50 · Employment, family and home-country ties

Approved leave and return-to-work plan are not demonstrated

Classified asR179(b) / employment-return evidence

YOUR FILEVISA OFFICERassesses16
Evidence weakness — fixableThis is not a statutory bar. It affects whether the officer is satisfied, and better evidence can change that.

What this actually means

The applicant says they have a job but does not show that the employer has approved the exact travel period or expects them back.

Why it matters to the officer

Leave evidence can connect employment to the specific proposed trip rather than merely proving that the applicant has a job at some point in time.

IRPR 179 — WHAT THE OFFICER MUST BE SATISFIED OFYou applied in the correct wayYou will LEAVE by the end of your stayYou hold a valid travel documentYou are not inadmissibleMost visitor refusals turn on the second line — s. 179(b).

What the officer compares

Leave dates, proposed travel dates, return-to-work date, employer letter and whether the duration is reasonable for the role.

THE OFFICER CROSS-CHECKSLeave datesproposed travel datesreturn-to-work dateemployer letter

Weak file vs strong file

The same situation, presented two ways. The right-hand column is what a reapplication needs to look like.

WHAT WEAKENS ITWHAT STRENGTHENS ITLeave dates shorter than the tripWhere available, include approvedleave and a clear expected returnusing an old NOC for a new travelperiodclaiming unpaid leave for monthswithout explanation

How to strengthen a reapplication

Where available, include approved leave and a clear expected return date. If the employer does not issue formal leave letters, explain the normal process and provide alternative evidence.

Common mistakes

Leave dates shorter than the trip; using an old NOC for a new travel period; claiming unpaid leave for months without explanation.

Illustrative example

A stable job plus 14 days approved leave is a clearer temporary narrative than a stable job plus an unexplained 90-day absence.

Before you reapply

THE ONLY SEQUENCE THAT WORKS1Read the notesFind the real reason2Fix that one thi…Not everything at on…3Prove it with do…Evidence, not claims4Then reapplyAnswering the object…

You cannot fix a reason you have not read. Your GCMS notes contain the officer's own words about your file, and requesting them is free we publish every step.

Scope note. IRCC does not publish an official ranked list of refusal reasons. This is a research-based classification of the legal grounds and evidence weaknesses that recur in real refusals. A weak itinerary or a new job is not itself a statutory ground — it affects whether the officer is satisfied under IRPR 179(b). Source references for this entry: [S4]. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask about this refusal

The applicant says they have a job but does not show that the employer has approved the exact travel period or expects them back.

Leave evidence can connect employment to the specific proposed trip rather than merely proving that the applicant has a job at some point in time.

Leave dates, proposed travel dates, return-to-work date, employer letter and whether the duration is reasonable for the role.

Where available, include approved leave and a clear expected return date. If the employer does not issue formal leave letters, explain the normal process and provide alternative evidence.

Leave dates shorter than the trip; using an old NOC for a new travel period; claiming unpaid leave for months without explanation.

No. IRCC states that refiling the same information will likely not change the decision. A reapplication has to answer the specific concern the officer recorded — which is why you should read your GCMS notes first and find out exactly what that concern was.

Not sure this is why you were refused?

Most refusals cite more than one concern, and only one of them is usually decisive. Your GCMS notes say which. Get them free, or send them to us and we will tell you exactly what to fix.

More in “Employment, family and home-country ties

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