Government-LicensedLicence849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024Valid till 22/07/2029
CAIPS Notes ApplyGCMS · CAIPS · CBSA Notes

Reason 11 of 50 · Purpose, itinerary and trip credibility

The cost and scale of the trip do not fit the stated purpose

Classified asPurpose + finance coherence issue

YOUR FILEVISA OFFICERassesses11
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 itinerary is unusually expensive or elaborate compared with the reason for travel, the applicant’s normal income and their financial history.

Why it matters to the officer

IRCC requires enough money for the stay. When the economics of the trip are implausible, financial concerns can also affect credibility of the stated purpose.

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

Airfare, accommodation, internal travel, daily expenses, number of travellers, declared income, savings history and sponsor contribution.

THE OFFICER CROSS-CHECKSAirfareaccommodationinternal traveldaily expensesnumber of travellersdeclared income

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 ITShowing only a high closingbalancePrepare a realistic trip budgetand show how it is funded. If theignoring the full cost of amulti-city tripusing luxury bookings that do notmatch the applicant’s means

How to strengthen a reapplication

Prepare a realistic trip budget and show how it is funded. If the trip is a special one-off expense, explain the legitimate savings or sponsor support behind it.

Common mistakes

Showing only a high closing balance; ignoring the full cost of a multi-city trip; using luxury bookings that do not match the applicant’s means.

Illustrative example

A modest-income applicant can take an expensive family trip, but the source and availability of the money should be credible and documented.

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: [S2], [S4]. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask about this refusal

The itinerary is unusually expensive or elaborate compared with the reason for travel, the applicant’s normal income and their financial history.

IRCC requires enough money for the stay. When the economics of the trip are implausible, financial concerns can also affect credibility of the stated purpose.

Airfare, accommodation, internal travel, daily expenses, number of travellers, declared income, savings history and sponsor contribution.

Prepare a realistic trip budget and show how it is funded. If the trip is a special one-off expense, explain the legitimate savings or sponsor support behind it.

Showing only a high closing balance; ignoring the full cost of a multi-city trip; using luxury bookings that do not match the applicant’s means.

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 “Purpose, itinerary and trip credibility

See all 50 refusal reasons →

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