Sponsorship Appeals

Sponsorship Appeals (Family Class Sponsorship Appeals)

If a Canadian citizen or permanent resident files an application to sponsor a foreign national as a member of the family class, and the application for a visa is refused, the sponsor may appeal the refusal of the application to the IAD.

However, there is no right of appeal to the IAD if the foreign national (applicant) is inadmissible on the following grounds:

(1) security, violating human or international rights;

(2) serious criminality with respect to a crime that was punished in Canada by a term of imprisonment of at least 6 months or a crime that is described in paragraph 36(1)(b) or (c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;

(3) organized crime; or

(4) misrepresentation (unless the foreign national in question is the sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner or child).

To file an appeal to the IAD, the sponsor must submit a Notice of Appeal and the written reasons for refusal to the IRB registry no later than 30 days after the appellant received the reasons for the refusal of the application.