The Canadian government has introduced a new policy said to be aimed at improving visa application transparency by including officer decision notes with refusal letters.
The new policy announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) took effect on July 29, 2025.
This means selected individuals applying for visas in Canada will now be provided insights into why their applications were denied.
By including officer decision notes, IRCC said it seeks to address long-standing complaints about vague refusal letters.
According to IRCC, the officer’s decision notes will only be available for the following visa applications;
• Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs)—excluding electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) and Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs);
• Visitor records
• Study permits
• Work permits
The department said it will add officer decision notes to more application types over time.
Further breakdown of the new policy revealed that IRCC may omit “certain portions of the notes on a case-by-case basis” on account of security, privacy, or other concerns.
Meanwhile, Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that applicants who wish to get more detailed information about their application, and possibly a refusal decision, can request Global Case Management System (GCMS) notes from IRCC.
These notes are initially stored in IRCC’s Global Case Management System. Unlike the new officer decision notes, GCMS notes must be requested by applicants via an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request.
GCMS notes are the most detailed information on IRCC’s decision-making available to applicants.
