There are other 'Reasons for Rejection' threads on this forum with more exhaustive summaries (examples:
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/reasons-for-rejection-faraz-summary.471670/;
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/post-e-apr-process-and-common-reasons-for-rejection.510587/)
But this is a summary I've put together based on some of the
accidents/misunderstandings I've seen on this forum that have resulted in applications being rejected. (This list isn't exhaustive though, and it doesn't consider rejection due to purposeful misrepresentation).
Police Clearance Certificates Issues (seems to be the most common reason):
[IMPACTS CRIMINALITY ASSESSMENT?]
- PCC wasn't scanned in colour (colour scan should be used, even if original PCC is issued in black and white)
- PCC doesn't cover all dates applicant was in country (PCC was issued before applicant departed country, or applicant went back for a short visit after PCC is issued thereby invalidating PCC)
- Required PCC is missing (you should provide PCCs for all countries you've been in (visited and lived) cumulatively for 6 months or more, SINCE YOU WERE 18-years-old, NOT only in the last 10 years)
- Submitting Australian PCC without accompanying Traffic History Report
- Not submitting 'Consent to Disclosure of Information' form for New Zealand PCC
- For some countries, like India and Pakistan I think, submitting PCC for only one state or address, instead of obtaining federal PCC (for India, I think you're advised to obtain your PCC through PSK, to ensure everything is covered)
- Not indicating {by correspondence} on distance learning educational qualifications, thereby leading IRCC to think you were physically in the issuing institution's country for studies, and didn't submit a PCC for it
- Not providing a Letter of Explanation (LOE) along with supporting evidence (e.g. copies of applications, receipts, and delivery notices) to explain why outstanding PCCs are not included in the application
- Having a criminal history/arrests/convictions that makes one criminally inadmissible (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
Medical Exam Issues:
[IMPACTS MEDICAL ADMISSABILITY ASSESSMENT?]
- Medical Exam reveals condition that makes one inadmissible to Canada for PR (poses risk to Canadian health, or would place too much of a financial burden on Canadian Health System) (I think you're generally presented with a procedural fairness letter and given a chance to argue your case, in situations like this, before a rejection comes).
Education Issues:
[IMPACTS ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT?]
- Submitting your ECA Report under the 'Proof of Education' Section but not the copy of your Degree/Diploma. Conversely, submitting only the copy of the Degree/Diploma but not the accompanying ECA Report (even though IRCC doesn't actually ask for the ECA report in documents to be submitted)
- Accidentally misrepresenting your 'highest education level' and claiming more points for Education than you should have, resulting in the issuance of an ITA when your 'true' CRS score wasn't actually high enough to be issued one (e.g. claiming "Two or more certificates, diplomas, degrees..." because you have 2 Bachelor's Degrees , when your ECA summary only evaluated your 2 Degrees as equivalent to one Canadian Bachelor's Degree) [In this case, your application is rejected due to lack of eligibility (not meeting the CRS cut-off), NOT because of 'misrepresentation']
Offer of Employment in Canada Issues:
[IMPACTS ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT?]
- Expiration of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support job offer
Work Experience Issues:
[IMPACTS ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT?]
- IRCC isn't convinced stated job duties/responsibilities match selected NOC Code
- IRCC isn't convinced work experience is real/legitimate (maybe work reference letters weren't issued on letterhead, or IRCC was unable to verify existence of Company, especially if the Company no longer exists) (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
- IRCC isn't convinced work experience claimed was full-time and continuous and/or for as many years as the applicant claimed (maybe because reference letter was missing some required information such as effective dates of employment, or confirmation of full-time status) (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
Proof of Funds Issues:
[IMPACTS ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT?]
(I've seen accounts of being rejected for Proof of Funds Issues, but never seen a clear reason as to what the real problem was, resulting in the rejection):
- Exchange Rate fluctuations bring claimed settlement fund amount below threshold (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
- IRCC isn't convinced of legitimacy of proof of funds (maybe the letters weren't on letterhead, or applicant could only provide unendorsed online statements???) (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
- IRCC doesn't accept some funds as appropriate to claim as settlement funds (haven't seen any official cases of this, but we assume it's a possibility)
Travel Document Issues:
[IMPACTS COMPLETENESS CHECK?]
- Scans of passport bio and stamped pages is missing or incomplete (missing a stamp for one of the travel dates indicated in Travel History, without explanation)
Other Issues:
[IMPACTS COMPLETENESS CHECK?]
- Failure to upload the original document as well as the translated document, for documents not in English or French
- Using a Scanning or 'PDF' service, in uploading files, that results in files not in keeping with the approved file format, or that IRCC can't open