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Study Visa - refusal | Sept 2021 | Irrelevant course | 216(1) | Experienced candidate | 8 years Experience

fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
Hi,

I hope you all will be doing great. I applied for the study visa for the fall, 2021 intake. I got the refusal on 14 July 2021. I have applied for the GCMS Notes, didn't get yet.

Study Permit Details
  • College: Sault College (Publicly funded)
  • Program: Cyber Security - Canadian Context (2 years)
  • Program Type: Post Graduation Diploma - 2 years
  • Intake: September 2021
Note: After the refusal, I got to know that SOP was not added to my application file.

My Profile
  • IELTS:
    • Listening: 7
    • Reading: 7
    • Speaking: 6.5
    • Writing: 6.5
    • Overall: 7
  • Education
    • MCA (2013, Regular, 63%)
    • BCA (2011, Regular, 62%)
    • 12th (2007, 55%, Arts (Political Science, Economics, Physical Education))
    • 10th (2005, 60%)
  • Experience
    • 8 years experience
    • Working as a Senior Software Engineer (Web application developer) Since 2013 (without any gap)
  • DOB
    • 1989
Refusal Note:
  • I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, as stipulated in subsection 216(1) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.
  • Your proposed studies are not reasonable in light of: your qualifications, previous studies, mark sheets, academic record, level of establishment and/or your future prospects and plans.
The reason behind the refusal what I feel now
I had only two options at that time; either Project Mgmt for 1 year or Cyber Security for 2 years. I opt for Cyber Security because of 3 years work permit after completing 2 years study program. After the refusal, I came to know that my program was irrelevant because it was more specifically for the guys related to the networking in other words for network engineers.

Now I want to re-apply with the Project Management program, and I can strongly prove why I want to go for this course.
Will changing the course reduce my chances to get approval for the study visa?


Thank you :)
 
Last edited:

wonderbly

VIP Member
Aug 26, 2020
3,875
3,087
Hi,

I hope you all will be doing great. I applied for the study visa for the fall, 2021 intake. I got the refusal on 14 July 2021. I have applied for the GCMS Notes, didn't get yet.

Study Permit Details
  • College: Sault College (Publicly funded)
  • Program: Cyber Security - Canadian Context (2 years)
  • Program Type: Post Graduation Diploma - 2 years
  • Intake: September 2021
Note: After the refusal, I got to know that SOP was not added to my application file.

My Profile
  • IELTS:
    • Listening: 7
    • Reading: 7
    • Speaking: 6.5
    • Writing: 6.5
    • Overall: 7
  • Education
    • MCA (2013, Regular, 63%)
    • BCA (2011, Regular, 62%)
    • 12th (2007, 55%, Arts (Political Science, Economics, Physical Education))
    • 10th (2005, 60%)
  • Experience
    • 8 years experience
    • Working as a Senior Software Engineer (Web application developer) Since 2013 (without any gap)
  • DOB
    • 1989
Refusal Note:
  • I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, as stipulated in subsection 216(1) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.
  • Your proposed studies are not reasonable in light of: your qualifications, previous studies, mark sheets, academic record, level of establishment and/or your future prospects and plans.
The reason behind the refusal what I feel now
I had only two options at that time; either Project Mgmt for 1 year or Cyber Security for 2 years. I opt for Cyber Security because of 3 years work permit after completing 2 years study program. After the refusal, I came to know that my program was irrelevant because it was more specifically for the guys related to the networking in other words for network engineers.

Now I want to re-apply with the Project Management program, and I can strongly prove why I want to go for this course. Will changing the course will reduce my chance to get approval for the study visa?


Thank you :)
You were rightly refused.

You have a Master's degree, 8 years experience, yet you applied at a college for a PGD to study a program in the Canadian context which would not be relevant to your current work in your home country, nor elevate your status in your profession now or in the future. To make matters worse, you did not include a Study plan. Your agent wasted your money and time for this application IMO.

Your next program choice will likely also result in a refusal. Are you currently a project Manager? Are you managing projects as a part of your role as Software Engineer? Moreover, PM are generally available everywhere and online for much cheaper and courses at colleges are so generic they give zero value. Definitely not worth the cost of going all the way to Canada to study it. That's why we see such high refusals rates for PM courses on here.

You say you can provide strong reasons for going for PM in your SOP, good luck with that. My best advice to you is to rather apply for MBA or relevant Master's program in Data Science/Networks/Information Security etc at reputable public universities. Programs like the MITS (Master of Engineering in Telecommunications & Information Security) or MADS ( Master of Engineering in Applied Data Science) offered by university of victoria, university of British Columbia, University of Regina etc would suit your profile and experience really well.

Also, get your GCMS notes. And lose your agent.
 
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Dr.No

Full Member
Jun 15, 2021
20
12
Such a structured question :)

I’m sure you will get through next time easily with proper course selection. Probably Masters level. Also you didn’t mention about the tuition and finances.
 

fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
You were rightly refused.

You have a Master's degree, 8 years experience, yet you applied at a college for a PGD to study a program in the Canadian context which would not be relevant to your current work in your home country, nor elevate your status in your profession now or in the future. To make matters worse, you did not include a Study plan. Your agent wasted your money and time for this application IMO.

Your next program choice will likely also result in a refusal. Are you currently a project Manager? Are you managing projects as a part of your role as Software Engineer? Moreover, PM are generally available everywhere and online for much cheaper and courses at colleges are so generic they give zero value. Definitely not worth the cost of going all the way to Canada to study it. That's why we see such high refusals rates for PM courses on here.

You say you can provide strong reasons for going for PM in your SOP, good luck with that. My best advice to you is to rather apply for MBA or relevant Master's program in Data Science/Networks/Information Security etc at reputable public universities. Programs like the MITS (Master of Engineering in Telecommunications & Information Security) or MADS ( Master of Engineering in Applied Data Science) offered by university of victoria, university of British Columbia, University of Regina etc would suit your profile and experience really well.

Also, get your GCMS notes. And lose your agent.
Thank you for replying and sharing valuable knowledge. I can't go for the MBA because my MCA percentage doesn't meet the requirement. But there is a PG Diploma of Project Management particularly IT people. I believe that we can create a strong SOP for it, I can explain how it can enhance my skills and elevate my designation. I am sure this program will not become the cause of any refusal for my profile. I am just wondering how I would explain why I changed the course/program. This is the only thing that makes me panic.
 

wonderbly

VIP Member
Aug 26, 2020
3,875
3,087
Thank you for replying and sharing valuable knowledge. I can't go for the MBA because my MCA percentage doesn't meet the requirement. But there is a PG Diploma of Project Management particularly IT people. I believe that we can create a strong SOP for it, I can explain how it can enhance my skills and elevate my designation. I am sure this program will not become the cause of any refusal for my profile. I am just wondering how I would explain why I changed the course/program. This is the only thing that makes me panic.
You can say you took into consideration what the VO notes i the GCMS notes and on that basis you decided to change to this.
 

fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
Such a structured question :)

I’m sure you will get through next time easily with proper course selection. Probably Masters level. Also you didn’t mention about the tuition and finances.
Thank you for giving me good vibes.

First-Year Tuition Fee: 17,000 CAD
GIC: 10,200 CAD
 

rogelcorral

Champion Member
Jun 15, 2018
1,491
464
Hi,

I hope you all will be doing great. I applied for the study visa for the fall, 2021 intake. I got the refusal on 14 July 2021. I have applied for the GCMS Notes, didn't get yet.

Study Permit Details
  • College: Sault College (Publicly funded)
  • Program: Cyber Security - Canadian Context (2 years)
  • Program Type: Post Graduation Diploma - 2 years
  • Intake: September 2021
Note: After the refusal, I got to know that SOP was not added to my application file.

My Profile
  • IELTS:
    • Listening: 7
    • Reading: 7
    • Speaking: 6.5
    • Writing: 6.5
    • Overall: 7
  • Education
    • MCA (2013, Regular, 63%)
    • BCA (2011, Regular, 62%)
    • 12th (2007, 55%, Arts (Political Science, Economics, Physical Education))
    • 10th (2005, 60%)
  • Experience
    • 8 years experience
    • Working as a Senior Software Engineer (Web application developer) Since 2013 (without any gap)
  • DOB
    • 1989
Refusal Note:
  • I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, as stipulated in subsection 216(1) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.
  • Your proposed studies are not reasonable in light of: your qualifications, previous studies, mark sheets, academic record, level of establishment and/or your future prospects and plans.
The reason behind the refusal what I feel now
I had only two options at that time; either Project Mgmt for 1 year or Cyber Security for 2 years. I opt for Cyber Security because of 3 years work permit after completing 2 years study program. After the refusal, I came to know that my program was irrelevant because it was more specifically for the guys related to the networking in other words for network engineers.

Now I want to re-apply with the Project Management program, and I can strongly prove why I want to go for this course.
Will changing the course reduce my chances to get approval for the study visa?


Thank you :)
IMHO, you could relate cybersecurity with your current work experience as software engineer in web development. Cybersecurity is not just on the hardware level but also falls on the software level. You can read countless documents on website attacks (sql injection, etc.). Webdev fundamentals teaches to not store passwords in plain text, but rather in hashed only (and even then can be defeated in reverse hashing). Some attacks were done because of backdoors left open during sandbox testing. And some were just like the “up up down down left right left right B A” stuff (fellow “boomers” can relate). During reconnaissance, hackers first gather information from publicly available source, one of them is the target company website. Noobs love to practice on website defacement before evolving into more advanced techniques. Somebody could do a DOS attack on your webserver by executing an infinite loop code in your website.

Full understanding on both the hardware and software layers could help you in improving your web development into a more secure platform, especially when doing e-commerce.

Also, there is a shortage of cybersecurity experts globally. You may want to read this gartner report:

https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/research/talentneuron/labor-market-trends/cybersecurity-labor-shortage-and-covid-19

Just my two-cents. But, do request for GCMS for you to find out the exact reasons for refusal.
 

MZHSECA

Star Member
Jul 8, 2021
108
31
Hi,

I hope you all will be doing great. I applied for the study visa for the fall, 2021 intake. I got the refusal on 14 July 2021. I have applied for the GCMS Notes, didn't get yet.

Study Permit Details
  • College: Sault College (Publicly funded)
  • Program: Cyber Security - Canadian Context (2 years)
  • Program Type: Post Graduation Diploma - 2 years
  • Intake: September 2021
Note: After the refusal, I got to know that SOP was not added to my application file.

My Profile
  • IELTS:
    • Listening: 7
    • Reading: 7
    • Speaking: 6.5
    • Writing: 6.5
    • Overall: 7
  • Education
    • MCA (2013, Regular, 63%)
    • BCA (2011, Regular, 62%)
    • 12th (2007, 55%, Arts (Political Science, Economics, Physical Education))
    • 10th (2005, 60%)
  • Experience
    • 8 years experience
    • Working as a Senior Software Engineer (Web application developer) Since 2013 (without any gap)
  • DOB
    • 1989
Refusal Note:
  • I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay, as stipulated in subsection 216(1) of the IRPR, based on the purpose of your visit.
  • Your proposed studies are not reasonable in light of: your qualifications, previous studies, mark sheets, academic record, level of establishment and/or your future prospects and plans.
The reason behind the refusal what I feel now
I had only two options at that time; either Project Mgmt for 1 year or Cyber Security for 2 years. I opt for Cyber Security because of 3 years work permit after completing 2 years study program. After the refusal, I came to know that my program was irrelevant because it was more specifically for the guys related to the networking in other words for network engineers.

Now I want to re-apply with the Project Management program, and I can strongly prove why I want to go for this course.
Will changing the course reduce my chances to get approval for the study visa?


Thank you :)
Very sorry to know about your refusal.If I may ask,when did you apply and which visa office sent you the refusal decision?
 

fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
IMHO, you could relate cybersecurity with your current work experience as software engineer in web development. Cybersecurity is not just on the hardware level but also falls on the software level. You can read countless documents on website attacks (sql injection, etc.). Webdev fundamentals teaches to not store passwords in plain text, but rather in hashed only (and even then can be defeated in reverse hashing). Some attacks were done because of backdoors left open during sandbox testing. And some were just like the “up up down down left right left right B A” stuff (fellow “boomers” can relate). During reconnaissance, hackers first gather information from publicly available source, one of them is the target company website. Noobs love to practice on website defacement before evolving into more advanced techniques. Somebody could do a DOS attack on your webserver by executing an infinite loop code in your website.

Full understanding on both the hardware and software layers could help you in improving your web development into a more secure platform, especially when doing e-commerce.

Also, there is a shortage of cybersecurity experts globally. You may want to read this gartner report:

https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/research/talentneuron/labor-market-trends/cybersecurity-labor-shortage-and-covid-19

Just my two-cents. But, do request for GCMS for you to find out the exact reasons for refusal.
Thank you for sharing the information. I understand the association between cybersecurity and software systems, perhaps, VO found it irrelevant to my profile therefore I decided to change the program. I have requested for fee refund from Sault College. I am waiting for GCMS notes.
 

rogelcorral

Champion Member
Jun 15, 2018
1,491
464
Thank you for sharing the information. I understand the association between cybersecurity and software systems, perhaps, VO found it irrelevant to my profile therefore I decided to change the program. I have requested for fee refund from Sault College. I am waiting for GCMS notes.
Which you can address effectively in your SOP.

Best wishes to your future plans.
 
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fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
Very sorry to know about your refusal.If I may ask,when did you apply and which visa office sent you the refusal decision?
Application Details
File Submitted: 13 May 2021
Biometric: 30 June 2021
Refusal: 14 July 2021

Visa Office (mentioned on the refusal letter)
CPC-Ottawa, NHQ - Centralized Processing Region 365 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa ON K1A 1L1, Canada
 
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fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
If anyone changed the program/course after the refusal and re-applied then PLEASE share your experience. I am still looking for my answer.
 

wonderbly

VIP Member
Aug 26, 2020
3,875
3,087
If anyone changed the program/course after the refusal and re-applied then PLEASE share your experience. I am still looking for my answer.
Changing program is commonplace. Almost everyone who got refused on the basis of program choice changed their program, and quite a number got approval by their second/third application. We've even seen people get approved on 4th or 5th try.
 

fatehparminder

Full Member
Jul 17, 2021
48
5
India
Category........
STUDY
Changing program is commonplace. Almost everyone who got refused on the basis of program choice changed their program, and quite a number got approval by their second/third application. We've even seen people get approved on 4th or 5th try.
Thank you so much. I have been searching for clearing my doubt for 3 days. I discovered several cases in which applicants got their visas after changing the course. SOP plays a crucial role in order to get a study visa. Now I need a professional Content Writer (Specialist in writing SOP) who can help me to explain thoroughly why I am changing the course.

If you know anyone who is specialized in writing SOP then please do let me know.
 

wonderbly

VIP Member
Aug 26, 2020
3,875
3,087
Thank you so much. I have been searching for clearing my doubt for 3 days. I discovered several cases in which applicants got their visas after changing the course. SOP plays a crucial role in order to get a study visa. Now I need a professional Content Writer (Specialist in writing SOP) who can help me to explain thoroughly why I am changing the course.

If you know anyone who is specialized in writing SOP then please do let me know.
Sorry, I don't know any. All the best.
 
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