Thommo said:
Absolutely! Reasons given for refusal are so illogical.
My wife's TRV application was refused too under similar circumstances. Generic reply gave the same reason for refusal. Inquiry through MP made IRCC give another reason - applicant doesn't have strong ties in home country and in Canada. OMG! Her each and every member is in her home country and her husband (me) is in Canada.
It seems that a great many of these reasons are a double-edge sword. Either way it swings, it can work against you. For example, having strong ties in Canada could also be seen as higher-risk of not returning. Or having strong ties in home country could possibly be an opening for international child abduction. The guidelines are probably based on precedence, but generally end up being lose-lose for the applicant, solely at the whim of the visa officer assessing the application, as over time, there have been precedence set either way.
Due to volume, they can't afford to assess each TRV case in depth, and on its own merits, but a little critical thinking can go a long way.
This applies even more so in the case of an application for PRV, where they have the time, and duty, for a more in-depth assessment. Why would not knowing your husband's ex-wife's date of birth be an indication that your marriage is not genuine?
In real life, when a husband that talks incessantly about his ex-wife, it's an indication of a troubled present marriage. Similarly, a partner that remembers and compartmentalizes everything you say, well ... most people wouldn't take it as an indication of a healthy future either. These things may come up in conversation to give your partner a better picture of you as a person, but not meant to be memorized because you will be tested on it later.
You have a whole lifetime to learn about each other. That you wife doesn't know the name of your sister's husband, that she's never met, should not be taken as a sign of a ingenuine marriage.
Rant over, for now ...