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Reason 45 of 50 · Forms, documents and procedural compliance

Translations or certified copies do not meet IRCC requirements

Classified asDocument-compliance issue

YOUR FILEVISA OFFICERassesses45
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

Supporting evidence in a language other than English or French is uploaded without the required translation package or with an unacceptable translator.

Why it matters to the officer

IRCC states that, unless otherwise instructed, documents not in English or French must be accompanied by an English/French translation, an affidavit from the translator, and a certified photocopy of the original document.

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

Who translated the document, affidavit, certified copy, completeness of translation and whether names/numbers match the original.

THE OFFICER CROSS-CHECKSWho translated the documentaffidavitcertified copycompleteness of translationwhether names/numbers match the original

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 ITApplicant/family membertranslating their own documentUse a qualified translator andfollow the current IRCC rules fortranslating only selected linesmissing affidavit or certifiedcopy where required

How to strengthen a reapplication

Use a qualified translator and follow the current IRCC rules for the application type. Translate stamps/annotations that are material to the document where needed.

Common mistakes

Applicant/family member translating their own document; translating only selected lines; missing affidavit or certified copy where required.

Illustrative example

A strong property or civil-status record has little value if the officer cannot properly rely on the untranslated original.

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: [S9]. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask about this refusal

Supporting evidence in a language other than English or French is uploaded without the required translation package or with an unacceptable translator.

IRCC states that, unless otherwise instructed, documents not in English or French must be accompanied by an English/French translation, an affidavit from the translator, and a certified photocopy of the original document.

Who translated the document, affidavit, certified copy, completeness of translation and whether names/numbers match the original.

Use a qualified translator and follow the current IRCC rules for the application type. Translate stamps/annotations that are material to the document where needed.

Applicant/family member translating their own document; translating only selected lines; missing affidavit or certified copy where required.

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 “Forms, documents and procedural compliance

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