Purpose, itinerary and trip credibility
Itinerary is generic, unrealistic or copied
Not a statutory bar. It affects whether the officer is satisfied, and better evidence can change that.
What this means
An itinerary should demonstrate how long the applicant plans to stay and what they plan to do. A copied list of famous attractions may add little if it is geographically unrealistic or unrelated to the applicant’s actual plan.
Why it matters to the officer
A credible itinerary helps connect purpose, duration, accommodation and cost. An unrealistic itinerary can instead create credibility concerns.
What the officer compares
Travel distances, dates, hotel locations, event dates, host address, season, internal transport and whether the plan is affordable.
How to strengthen a new application
Use a simple day-by-day or city-by-city plan that is consistent with the actual bookings and the applicant’s interests. Avoid overengineering every hour; realism is more persuasive than decorative detail.
- Use a simple day-by-day or city-by-city plan that is consistent with the actual bookings and the applicant’s interests. Avoid overengineering every hour
- realism is more persuasive than decorative detail
Common mistakes
Toronto and Vancouver on consecutive days without flights; attractions closed in the season of travel; hotels in cities not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Toronto and Vancouver on consecutive days without flights
- attractions closed in the season of travel
- hotels in cities not mentioned in the itinerary
Illustrative exampleA 10-day Ontario trip should not casually include a two-day side visit to Banff unless transportation and costs realistically support it.
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?
