Transit visa refused!

[Lilikor]

Hi everyone,

my name is Lilia, I am a Ukranian citizen living and studying legally in Germany. My husband is mexican and he also lives and studies here. We are both with a valid visa here.

We are going on vacation to Mexico this summer and we bought a flight on the way back that has a stop in Montreal for 40 Minutes. I need a transit visa so I applied and I gave my biometrics and i just received a refusal letter. The reasons given are the following:

- I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident, as stipulated in paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR, based on your travel history.
- I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as a temporary resident, as stipulated in paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR, based on your immigration status.

I do not understand what that means and I certainly don't want to exceed my time in Canada since is just a 40 MINUTES STOP! For me, it doesn't make any sense. Has anyone any idea what did I do wrong?

Is there any chance that a mistake was made?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Lucy87]

Hi Lilia,

I am also from Ukraine but live in the UK. Last year I flew to a friend’s wedding via Toronto, and getting a Transit visa was a nightmare. Got it hours before the flight. Depending on how much time you have, you can either consider ordering case notes and reapplying with stronger documents or booking a different ticket. I’d go for the latter option if you can afford it.

Based on the response though:
What is your travel history?
Can you prove that you will return to Germany or that your husband will go to Ukraine with you after your studies? Anything to show ties to Germany or Ukraine.

 

[Bs65]

So a refuelling stop of 40 minutes sounds too short and an international connection time of 40 minutes definitely too short. Who knows whether the flight schedule could be behind the refusal but may need to look at plan b and avoid Canada altogether as seems you could on the outward. In hindsight recommendation for any country where a visa transit or otherwise is concerned is to never book flight tickets before approval.

 

[Lilikor]

Hi Lilia,

I am also from Ukraine but live in the UK. Last year I flew to a friend’s wedding via Toronto, and getting a Transit visa was a nightmare. Got it hours before the flight. Depending on how much time you have, you can either consider ordering case notes and reapplying with stronger documents or booking a different ticket. I’d go for the latter option if you can afford it.

What do you mean with hours? You had to send your passport to the embassy so that they put the visa on it right. Do you mean your just paspassport tarrived back just a few hours before the flight? Or did you get some sort of electronic visa?

I am thinking of reapplying cause I can't afford to pay another flight. Also the flight through Canada is on the way back so that could maybe buy me some time.

Can I ask you how long your stop was supposed to be in Canada?

Thanks!

 

[Lucy87]

What do you mean with hours? You had to send your passport to the embassy so that they put the visa on it right. Do you mean your just paspassport tarrived back just a few hours before the flight? Or did you get some sort of electronic visa?

I am thinking of reapplying cause I can't afford to pay another flight. Also the flight through Canada is on the way back so that could maybe buy me some time.

Can I ask you how long your stop was supposed to be in Canada?

Thanks!

I did have to submit my passport to the consulate via VFS, but processing altogether took so long that I got my decision a few days before the flight and passport the morning of the day of the flight. It was stressful! My stop was 40 min long, like yours, and I flew back directly to London so only needed one entry.

I submitted a letter from work, payslips, bookings for my stay in the US, wedding invite, travel plan (again, for the US), tenancy agreement for my flat in London and various evidence of ties to the country of residence. In the end no one looked at my visa in Toronto but they did do random passport checks, so you never know.