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Need help in deciphering GCMS Notes. Is it a definite approval, or is there still a chance for a rejection?

Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
Congratulations in advance please how did you get the IRCC agent to tell you the details of your case. I thought they are not allowed to tell us about our application. Where did you apply from. Please tell me so that I can contact them as well. Thanks.
@Nwamaka Thank you very much :). IRCC agents can only tell you about files that are being processed inside Canada. From what I've seen so far, only SDS files are processed inside Canada. Therefore, for all non-SDS files, you will have to contact the visa office where your application is being processed, as IRCC agents in Canada have no access to your file. As for SDS files, you can call on this number - 1-888-242-2100, from Monday to Friday (8AM-4PM Eastern time). Just follow the instructions given, and you should reach an option to speak to an agent after about 7 minutes. The wait time is usually 45 minutes. Technically, IRCC agents aren't allowed to tell you the final status of your application, i.e., whether it has been approved or rejected. However, they usually do tell you about your eligibility, medicals, criminality etc. being passed or failed. Once you know that everything is passed, that usually implies that your application is approved (if you have received your BVL). That being said, it really depends on luck. Some agents (a small minority) refuse to give you any updates other than what is already available on your GC Key. Most agents however, give you updated information on your eligibility, etc. being passed or failed. Some agents go one step ahead and tell you that a final decision has been made (without telling you what it is), or even indirectly tell you that your application has been approved (but not directly). For instance, one really helpful agent told me that I just need to wait for the next step on submitting my passport for stamping to the New Delhi visa office, as every other step is over. This implied that my visa was approved, without her directly telling me that my visa was approved.

Hope this helps.
 

Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
Eligibility : Passed
Security :
HIRV :
Criminality : Passed - Bio
Org Crime :
Medical : Passed
Misrep :
Other Req :
Info Sharing : Complete
Final :
Counterfoil Req : yes

My gcsm notes says this what does it mean ?
Final is blank what can i expect ??
In my opinion, it is an approval. Even though the final column ins blank, everything (eligibility, criminality and medicals) is passed and info sharing is complete, which means that there is nothing left to be evaluated. For a rejection, there has to be something which has failed, or else someone has misrepresented. If not, I believe the visa has been approved. Congratulations in advance :)!!
 
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Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
Thank you very much to everyone who replied. Been a bit unwell these past few days, so I could not reply earlier. I've been in a terrible frame of mind these past few months, and reading your positive replies made me feel far better and relieved than I have in a long time. Wish everyone who is still waiting on their results the very best. Hope that all of you guys get your approvals really soon. :)
 
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Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
hey hi ... on what basis ur first application was refused
@chhandak Hi. I got the same two universal reasons that everyone seems to get - I won't leave Canada, and my previous studies don't match my proposed course of study in Canada. Honestly, I was rather surprised with the rejection. I applied for an MSc in International Business degree at Ivey Business School (which I believe is quite reputed). Had an average IELTS score of 8.5, graduated from one of India's top 5 law schools with a 75% average and 2 gold medals in 2020, and had no backlogs or anything; also I had applied through SDS and many Indian agents (incorrectly) told me that I would definitely get an approval because my financials had been taken care of. I had also received a 25% scholarship from Ivey, which is among the higher range of scholarships that Ivey gives. However, after getting my rejection, I took some time to introspect and applied for my GCMS notes. When I first applied, I knew nothing about the Canada visa process, and depended too naively on some Indian agents. After getting my GCMS notes, I realized that there was only one real reason, namely - my bachelors degree was in law, while my masters was in business, which they felt was a mismatch. Since I was already one term into my degree, I was pretty stressed out. I contacted an accredited law firm in Canada, and rook advice from them. That's when I realized what a terrible job my Indian agent had done. They had completely screwed up my SOP. Factors such as how a law and management degree is considered a really good combination from a career perspective, the transferable skills that a legal degree gives which are useful for a management masters (eg. critical thinking), the reason why Ivey's management degree was particularly suited for law graduates (they follow the case-based method which is extensively utilized in law school), and why particularly I selected Ivey (Ivey was the only university I had applied to, and the only one which I felt suited my career goals). Factors such as my international competitions, foreign travel, etc. had not been highlighted. Based on this law firm's recommendations, I drafted a detailed 10-page SOP, and added all necessary documents (which my Indian agent had told me was unnecessary when I had suggested it, as it would apparently "clutter" my file. Thankfully, the hard work paid off this time, and I'm looking forward to being in Canada soon :).

I'll be happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
 

Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
T

The second one from what I could read and decipher.
Yes. I know that it's usually recommended that the SOP be no more than 2 pages. Most people told me to keep it short. However, I was kinda nervous, so just thought of writing everything that I felt was important. Luckily it worked for me.
 
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sqfit

Hero Member
Jan 16, 2020
418
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Yes. I know that it's usually recommended that the SOP be no more than 2 pages. Most people told me to keep it short. However, I was kinda nervous, so just thought of writing everything that I felt was important. Luckily it worked for me.
Actually I believe every case is different and you should write according to yours (irrespective of the # of pages). I read just today morning that someone with 12 years of study gap got his visa without an SOP whereas so many got rejected without one as they couldn’t explain their cases. So we need to make sure we put forth everything that is required to make your case strong.
 

Iveyapplicant

Full Member
Mar 22, 2021
45
52
Actually I believe every case is different and you should write according to yours (irrespective of the # of pages). I read just today morning that someone with 12 years of study gap got his visa without an SOP whereas so many got rejected without one as they couldn’t explain their cases. So we need to make sure we put forth everything that is required to make your case strong.
I completely agree with you. There is no one size fits all approach. Most people I know got approved with 2 page SOPs. It's ultimately about being able to satisfactorily convince the visa officer. In my first application, more than the length, the main problem with the SOP was that the agent ended up focusing too much on my family circumstances, childhood hardships, etc. (which I felt were completely unnecessary), and paid scant attention to the rationale behind me choosing this program. I found it a bit strange, but thought that these agents would know their stuff much better than me. Since this was a re-application, I was also addressing the reasons for refusal, for the previous application, and that contributed to the length.

Ultimately, I don't know what exactly prompted my approval this time around, but I'm sure it's more to do with me explaining my change of stream, rather than the length of the SOP. As per my recently arrived GCMS notes for the second application, the officer wrote that they had reviewed my file, read the reasons explaining my choice of course and rebutting my refusal reasons, and was satisfied with the explanations given.