Employment, family and home-country ties
Business continuity during the proposed absence is unexplained
Not a statutory bar. It affects whether the officer is satisfied, and better evidence can change that.
What this means
The applicant says the business requires their personal management but also proposes to remain in Canada for a long period without explaining how operations will continue.
Why it matters to the officer
The officer may compare the claimed strength of the business tie with the practical consequences of the proposed absence.
What the officer compares
Trip duration, staffing, delegated authority, ongoing contracts and date-specific obligations after return.
How to strengthen a new application
Explain temporary delegation realistically. Show upcoming obligations or contracts only when genuine; do not invent urgency merely to create a return tie.
- Explain temporary delegation realistically. Show upcoming obligations or contracts only when genuine
- do not invent urgency merely to create a return tie
Common mistakes
“I am the only person who runs my business” together with a four-month holiday; no evidence of staff or delegation.
- “I am the only person who runs my business” together with a four-month holiday
- no evidence of staff or delegation
Illustrative exampleA 12-day absence from a managed business is different from a four-month absence by a sole operator.
Before you apply again
IRCC now sends the officer’s decision note with most temporary-resident refusals since 29 July 2025, so check what came with your refusal first. The decision note or GCMS notes guide explains the difference, and the decoder explains the codes in them.
Scope noteIRCC 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). This page is general information, not legal advice.
Where this comes from
Drawn from the Government of Canada’s published law and guidance. Check us against these pages:
Questions about this refusal
Not sure this is why you were refused?
Check first whether IRCC sent you the officer’s decision note with the refusal. For the fuller record, we can request your GCMS notes for you, or you can request them yourself, free, subject to what IRCC withholds.
Have us request them for youDo it yourself or let us do it?
