What happens if my spouse visa is refused?

If your spouse’s visa has already been refused already, it can feel upsetting, but it doesn’t mean the process is over. What happens next depends on the type of application: a temporary visa (like a visitor visa or work permit) or a spousal sponsorship for permanent residence.

1. If a temporary visa is refused

Temporary refusals are very common. The refusal immigration letter may list short reasons such as:

• Not enough ties to home country
• Purpose of visit not clear
• Limited travel history
• Financial concerns

These reasons are only the surface. The officer also writes detailed notes, which you can request through an ATIP file. These notes explain what actually caused the refusal.

After a refusal, there is no mandatory waiting period before reapplying, but a new application should address the refusal reasons. But reapplying quickly is only smart if you have new evidence that directly fixes the issues—clearer travel plans, stronger financial proof, a better explanation, or missing documents that were not included before. If nothing meaningful has changed, it’s usually better to wait, rebuild the file, or get the GCMS notes first.

2. If spousal sponsorship PR application is refused 

• Outland sponsors usually have 30 days to appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (unless the refusal involves misrepresentation or other barred grounds).
  
• Inland applicants have no appeal right, but they can request judicial review or submit a new, stronger sponsorship.

If you haven’t yet applied for spousal sponsorship and want to know more about the reasons based on which the application can be refused, you can check out our FAQ that explains it.

We explain the appeal process, judicial review, and how to rebuild a stronger application in detail in our Spousal Sponsorship Refusals & Appeals guide.

3. The best next move

Guessing is risky. A refusal analysis from Licensed immigration consultants helps you decide whether to appeal, reapply, or rebuild the application with stronger evidence.
 

Not every refusal leads to an appeal or re-application. In certain cases, formally withdrawing the sponsorship may be the appropriate step. See our FAQ about it. 

Preparing a well-supported sponsorship letter and correcting weaknesses in the file usually makes the next application stronger.

Feel free to check our Immigration Consultant Fees and book a consultation to get full information on spouse sponsorship Canada.