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Reason 39 of 50 · Travel history, immigration history and credibility

The new application conflicts with information IRCC already holds

Classified asCredibility / record-consistency issue

YOUR FILEVISA OFFICERassesses39
Credibility issue — handle carefullyThis touches how believable your file looks overall. Address it directly rather than hoping it is overlooked.

What this actually means

Employment, marital status, family members, travel history, income or other material facts differ from a previous Canadian application without explanation.

Why it matters to the officer

Immigration applications are not isolated files. Unexplained contradictions can reduce credibility and may raise misrepresentation concerns depending on materiality and intent is not always determinative under the legal test.

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

Prior forms and supporting documents, GCMS/decision notes, current declarations and chronology.

THE OFFICER CROSS-CHECKSPrior formssupporting documentsGCMS/decision notescurrent declarationschronology

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 ITChanging a job start date to makeemployment look longerReview the previous file beforereapplying. Where factsomitting a previous common-lawrelationshipdifferent travel history indifferent forms

How to strengthen a reapplication

Review the previous file before reapplying. Where facts legitimately changed, state when and why. Correct previous errors transparently instead of silently replacing them.

Common mistakes

Changing a job start date to make employment look longer; omitting a previous common-law relationship; different travel history in different forms.

Illustrative example

A genuine salary increase is easy to explain; a completely different employer history with no explanation is harder.

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: [S10], [S12], [S14]. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask about this refusal

Employment, marital status, family members, travel history, income or other material facts differ from a previous Canadian application without explanation.

Immigration applications are not isolated files. Unexplained contradictions can reduce credibility and may raise misrepresentation concerns depending on materiality and intent is not always determinative under the legal test.

Prior forms and supporting documents, GCMS/decision notes, current declarations and chronology.

Review the previous file before reapplying. Where facts legitimately changed, state when and why. Correct previous errors transparently instead of silently replacing them.

Changing a job start date to make employment look longer; omitting a previous common-law relationship; different travel history in different forms.

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 “Travel history, immigration history and credibility

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