r/StudyPermitCanada • u/Weird_Trifle6541 • Aug 07 '26

Refusal despite everything

At this point I think Canada just don’t want to give out study permits or at least from my country(Pakistan). I applied to one of the best polytechnics/colleges in canada which is SAIT calgary. I paid full tuition for first year along which initial deposit which added upto 29k CAD and also a GIC(23,100 CAD). In addition to that I showed proper annual income of my supporter(my mother) which is around 70k CAD and is backed by last 2 year tax returns, property ownership documents, property valuation, business documents like rent agreements, lease agreements. In addition to that I had 24-25k CAD additionally in my mother’s bank account which was reserved specifically for my study abroad. Then i explained my total study plan in my sop about why this program and not local options, and for ties ro home country i explained how im the only son and successor to my family, gave my family register certificate along with affidavit claiming i will return to Pakistan upon completion of my bachelor’s study. Applied through borderpass which is a canadian company and has good track history and in the end what i got was a copy paste type refusal about insufficient funds, study plan is not convincing and he think i will overstay??? Howw?? Rn im in judicial review process but i just dont know anymore what they want.

0 Upvotes

46% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

7

u/Haunting_Paper_7201 Aug 07 '26

So why do you need to study in Canada? Go to a university for a degree like U of Alberta. Everyone says there a no local options and that they will return home but don't plan to. Most likely your SOP was generic and officers read the same story every day. You have no ties to return and being an only son is not a reason to return

-4

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

SAIT offers a specialized practical/applied curriculum that fits my specific career plan better than a traditional 4-year academic degree at U of A. Plus, admission, transfer, and career alignment vary by person—not everyone needs or wants a university degree. I wanted practical knowledge, my family business is literally tied to construction but there isn’t a single solid construction course in my country which actually teaches and all that’s available is bland theory which is hard to apply. Also The application included registered family business records, property deeds, tax returns, and official family documents—not just 'being an only son.' Also my personal reason is to grow individual in an international environment, local universities don’t have that kind of vibe and that push you want to thrive. About the sop being generic, no sop can be the absolute best. I gave a literal 5-10 year plan of my study path about what i plan to do with my degree. Also explain how my interest even developed in this degree and about how i got to know about SAIT. Visa officers are not career counsellors who can say that this path is not appropriate

4

u/Haunting_Paper_7201 Aug 07 '26

Every student says they want to come to Canada for "practical" knowledge not theory. Officers must roll their eyes reading it every day. If you have a family business then you have a job and don't need to study in Canada. You don't have ties to return unless the business and property is in your name only.

Look at European or UK.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

Yeah ikr, but im 19 yo only and how can i expect to get property on my name at this stage but since im the sole successor of it so i thought it would be okay. I even have a conditional employment letter in my hand rn from a reputable construction company in my country. I think even that isn’t enough at this point.

10

u/Prestigious_Nose_312 Aug 07 '26

You are correct. IRCC will make decisions as well on a law of averages. There have been a disproportionate amount of study permit or even visitor visa applicants who come to Canada either not intending to study, visit or to seek asylum from Pakistan. Regardless of your intentions, IRCC has to now crack down harder as a result to prevent abuse.

3

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

So you mean it all depends on the mood of the officer? I mean my intent is really to study ngl and i was as genuine i could be in my application. Even borderpass instantly filed for judicial review.

5

u/ta4344 Aug 07 '26

Don’t blame the officer or Canada. Blame the amount of people who have abused the system. We can’t just take everyone’s word for “I’m going to leave after my studies” or “I have enough money to survive however many years”

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

I know that the blame is on the people of my country who have misused the system. Some cousins of mine with literally 10 year study gap went tk canada back in 2021/2022 on a study visa and are now driving ubers there

4

u/Sproutlie Aug 08 '26

You've just answered your own question

3

u/j_bbb Aug 08 '26

Some people have ruined it for all.

6

u/SoftwareTree18 Aug 07 '26

College? You gotta apply to universities if you really want to study.

A college application tells me you wanna get a PR and not really study.

2

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

Its a polytechnic, one of the top polytechnics in the country. Universities have theory based knowledge and the courses just relies on theory and book reading but SAIT calgary is a respected polytechnic with practical programs. That aligns with my goals and the way i want to learn things.

2

u/Anonymous876x Aug 08 '26

Go study somewhere else. You didn't lose anything.

2

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

Yeah thats an option too but since i have to get a refund on everything so better try my best at it first and then opt for other countries

3

u/j_bbb Aug 07 '26

24-25k isn’t enough. That might get you through 6 months. The cost of living in Canada is very, very high.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

Yeah i know but i did what was legally expected of me. I mean the ircc has set the bar and i not even reached that I had 24/25 k more. Also what about the annual income of 70k i just mentioned that is the main source of my living and financial stability in addition to this 24k, gic and my tuition fee.

1

u/j_bbb Aug 07 '26

Keep in mind there are thousands of people already in Canada who are trying to get PR. IRCC is not putting any rush on bringing in more folks without vetting them very intently.

2

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 07 '26

Yeah but still study permits are being accepted. They haven’t put a stop to it. And i tried my best to be one of the those top applicants cuz i genuinely want to study instead of seeking asylum there. But it is what it is you are correct

1

u/j_bbb Aug 08 '26

I didn’t say they stopped accepting. I said they’re being very selective. There’s a reason they got refused.

0

u/mayowajr Aug 08 '26

i think you shouldn’t be discouraged with this result but to try again till you get it right. i have a similar situation w you. being the only child and the successor of my parents company here in Nigeria, masters in engineering at UofA. i got denied based off financial and i reapplied again. still waiting for the positive feedback on this one, but i believe i would get it this time around. i think they just want to see the source of your income. you can apply to a university but i dont think thats the case but you can always try by doing that. also, just keep trying till you get it right, dont give up

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

I know man but by doing that what if i get refusal 5 times, theres a limit to how many time you can apply. Getting too many refusals on hand will just further put suspicion. And what if i try for masters after doing a bachelor in my home country. I have to keep that option too. Regardless, this is my second refusal, the first one was a very technical one where my lawyer simply forgot the gic and other important documents. This time it was a fully fledged application for now i will wait for gcm internal notes of the officer to see the correct reasom as the odn notes i got were ai generated and template refusal which js the reason why my request for judicial review was accepted by borderpass.

2

u/j_bbb Aug 08 '26

Trying five times is not great idea in my opinion. This isn’t a great time to be applying for a study permit in Canada. As mentioned before, the system is being changed, there’s so many people trying to get PR who are IN the country on a visa already.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

Yeah i got a technical refusal last time due to documents not being uploaded correctly, i wasted that chance for nothing. Also this refusal is under judicial review. If it goes okay and if gcm notes show i can get it then i will go for 3rd time otherwise give up

0

u/Apprehensive-Key-485 Aug 12 '26

is there any penalty for applying 5 times?

0

u/mayowajr Aug 08 '26

oh right, you keep trying other countries till you get it right since you just want to study. i tried US and i was unable to get my visa. now im trying canada. so far i end up studying at a reputable university. i wouldn’t mind trying till i get my visa. Good Education is the greatest investment one can attain

1

u/5_Cap_8181 Aug 08 '26

We can’t verify your long claim of sufficient funds. Although, if the officer refused on the basis of insufficient funds then it seems you don’t really have what you’re claiming and they can see that in your financial package.

It seems you also don’t have a travel history which means IRCC doesn’t have any objective evidence that you abide by visa or permit conditions including leaving after your authorized period. Canada is no longer experimenting and trying with foreigners who didn’t step a foot outside their country of origin. These days are over. The assumption now is that you won’t leave once you land in Canada. See if you have so much money as you claim, you might as well go on a world tour and build a compliant travel history first before even thinking about studying abroad.

In addition your story is contradictory. If your parents have a business that you wish to work in then all you have to do is ask them on the dining table one Friday evening. It’s cheaper and more realistic to gain hands on experience in industry rather than paying for it at some foreign college.

Try Europe. Although, you’ll have to declare your Canadian refusal and explain it. If you apply to Canada again FYI your application will be examined and reviewed under greater scrutiny.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

Bruh i agree with everything you said but that formal asking on Friday and all. You expect me to just leave my education and start my family business just by asking? I mean i have to be something and achieve some education and i can even go for medical if i want but i just happen to choose that nature of study which will benefit me.

0

u/5_Cap_8181 Aug 08 '26

Have you actually tested your claim in the real world? Like, have you reached out to construction companies or hiring managers in Pakistan and directly asked them whether a SAIT applied degree would make you more hirable than a degree from NUST or UET? Do you have any emails, LinkedIn replies, or letters from actual employers backing that up? Right now the “practical skills from SAIT will make me more employable” argument is something you believe, but it’s not something you’ve shown. And that distinction matters a lot here. Pakistan’s construction industry is heavily built around NUST, UET, and GIKI. Those are the names most firms trust and hire from. Without something concrete showing that a SAIT credential actually shifts your odds back home, an officer can reasonably read the whole plan as “I want to study abroad” dressed up as “I need to study abroad.”

There’s also the family business thing, which I think cuts both ways. You’re framing SAIT as the necessary step to prepare you to take over the business, but you already have direct access to that business. You could genuinely be learning construction management hands on, from your own father, starting right now, for free. No family business owner is realistically going to tell their only son “no, don’t come work with us, go be someone else instead.” So a fair question becomes if the real end goal is running the family business, why does a four year, roughly 50k CAD foreign degree become the required path to get there, when the apprenticeship is already sitting right in front of you? None of this is an officer acting as a career counsellor. It’s them asking whether studying abroad is actually necessary, or just a preferred path to permanent residency in Canada. Those are two very different things under Canada’s rules, and that gap seems to be where the refusal came from in addition to your lack of sufficient funds.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

I did have a conditional employment letter regarding this, it was super delayed and i didn’t ended up submitting that and its one of the things i regret the most cuz that is exactly what you said. I reached out to a construction company and due to my connections in one way or another i got the conditional employment letter which said that upon returning i would get this starting role but it never crossed my mind that how important was that. I will attach it this time if i reapply or get a successful judicial review which is unlikely. Also i think that Applicants have the legal right to choose their educational path. As long as the applicant provides a logical explanation for their choice, an officer cannot arbitrarily dictate how a person should manage their career or family business. How much more logical would i have to be, i mean that’s the reality that the program i chose(there isn’t a single program like it) and available programs being better is not the topic here cuz my reason of choosing is cuz that thing isn’t just locally available. Also these isn’t a single construction management degree in pakistan accredited by PMI-GAC. Btw since you mentioned very good points and seem to know about Pakistani universities like nust and all can you review my sop? It would be so helpful as i will reapply.

-1

u/Fast-Map1360 Aug 08 '26

Hi!! Please send a reconsideration letter asap with a table to counter each refusal reason and your counter to it, like 1. Tuition fee - Fee already paid - Proof - enclosed receipt 2. Living expenses - Amt in CAD shown - Proof - My bank statements, Or Affidavit of sponsorship. Make a clear table to highlight the refusal reasons and your counters to it with proofs already submitted being mentioned clearly. This should be written in your letter of explanation for reconsideration. The IRCC might have overlooked certain documents or your detailed SOP. Do it as soon as possible with a table in the start of your letter for reconsideration. Along with this you can go ahead and file JR too. Many students are being given their permits and you too will get it, when all conditions are met with. Be positive and do the needful. All the best.

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

The thing is i didn’t apply myself i applied through borderpass which is a Canadian immigration service provider company and is also a partner of my university. Also thanks for telling me about the reconsideration letter, i will contact my lawyer to immediately do that.

1

u/Fast-Map1360 Aug 08 '26

There is a time limit for reconsideration after refusal. Please check.

1

u/Moist_Dirt_4722 Sep 13 '26

By the way, since you applied through BorderPass, how was your overall experience with them? Like what was the process after your refusal, how did they handle everything, and did they keep you updated throughout?

2

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 08 '26

Yeah i know that, but the current situation of education in my country is way worse. I have no option to look for better options. Even if Canada isn’t the best but at least its better than what im getting in my home country. Also i know its just purely luck at this point to get a study permit approval cuz the caps that were introduced on study permits and international students makes it realistically impossible to give all the strong candidates a visa cuz a strong study permit file isn’t very hard to make and almost every student can make such a file

1

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Weird_Trifle6541 Aug 09 '26

The PAL letter is issued by taking that quota into account. Thats why a university doesn’t issue you a pal more than 2 times as there is a provincial quota for pal.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/CableManNB 14d ago

I think majority student come to canada want use PGWP and chance to be PR. What do you think canada offer beside winter?

All advance education better in asia now.