Officers have wide latitude in evaluating study permits. Some of the common reasons for an application to be rejected are that the officer does not believe that the applicant will return to their home country after finishing their studies or the applicant does not have enough money to support themselves in Canada while studying. Applications may also be rejected if the student has a criminal record, is a security threat, has a medical condition that poses a danger to the public or has a history of immigration violations in any other country.
Victor Satzewich is a sociology professor at McMaster University who has studied how immigration officers make decisions. He said the rising refusal rate may be a side effect of new rules that make it easier for an international student to become a permanent resident after finishing a Canadian degree or diploma. If officers believe a study permit applicant is motivated primarily by a desire to stay in Canada after graduation, not by the desire for a better education, they are likely to refuse the permit, he said.
