TRV rejected once before , chances of getting approved this time around?

[Saloni.M]

Hi,

I am sorry for the huge wall of text that follows, and really appreciate anyone taking time to read through it

So my TRV was refused last month. I applied online and as I had travelled to the US in the last 10 years, I had very few documents to submit ( under the CAN+ program for Indians ). I submitted my documents on Feb 25th and received my decision on March 10th. Now it wasn't mandatory for me to submit any financial proofs( my checklist only asked for the usual forms, travel history, photo, and passport along with an optional letter of explanation). I did, however, mention the rough amount of finances I would have available and included the flight tickets( no hotel tickets, I will come back to this point)

In the rejection letter, the reasons given were my purpose of travel and financial assets.

I quickly realised my error. In my application, I had written that my purpose of travel was tourism yet I had mentioned in my form, as well as in my letter of explanation, that I would be staying with a friend. This most likely caused the problem as it then seemed like I was going to visit the friend instead of going there as a tourist.

I then reapplied on March 23rd. This time I took the help of a visa agent. The agent mentioned that it may not be advisable to reapply so soon after rejection but I insisted on going ahead with it anyway, for two reasons:

1. I only have time in April/May to visit outside as a tourist as after this I may become quite busy with no end to said work in sight. So this was my only opportunity to head out for a vacation.

2. More importantly, I figured that since the mistake on my first application was obvious, as long as I corrected it, I had a good chance of getting the TRV approved.

So I made a new application and this time around I made proper hotel ( and again flight) reservations on new dates. On the IMM5257E form when they asked what my purpose of visit was, I said tourism ( like on my last application ) but unlike my last application , this time around, on the follow up columns asking me to list the persons/institutions I would be visiting as well as their relationship to me, I gave the names and addresses of the hostels I had made reservations at, and mentioned that these were the hostels I would be staying at ( in the aforementioned relationship column ) . In my earlier application, I had written my friend's name and address and said that she was my friend in the relationship column. ( and as I mentioned earlier , this was probably my fundamental mistake)


In the letter of explanation this time around:

1. I gave a more detailed account of which cities I would be staying in and for how long ( I am planning on going for 18 days so I mentioned that I would stay one week each in Ottowa, Montreal and Quebec )
2. Gave detailed information about my own finances and bank account info as well as my mother's who would is sponsoring me ( since I am still a student)
3.Attached all the flight and hostel booking confirmations.


I am still waiting for the result of my second TRV application but I'm starting to get very worried, for the following reason:

1. Would the fact that I said I was staying at my friend's house earlier and now I am saying that I will stay in a hostel seem suspicious? Especially since both my friend's house and the hostel is in Ottawa? I have shown hostel reservations but I am worried they might still find it suspicious and think that I will stay ay friend's house. In my letter of explanation, I explained that the reason I had decided to stay at a friend's house in my last application was that my itinerary at the time was more uncertain and I thought this would give me more flexibility. I acknowledged that this was a mistake on my part and I did not take into consideration the underlying concerns that the visa officer may have about these kinds of plans. I am hoping this will be enough but I am really nervous.

2. As I mentioned, my mother will be sponsoring my visa this time around as well ( since I am a student). Just as in my last application. However, this time around I have attached her bank statements to the Letter of Explanation, in which it shows about 3 lakhs and in the sponsorship letter, she writes that about 2 lakh is available for me for this trip. I have also shown my account statement ( with a paltry sum in it though ) but I have also attached a letter from the bank stating the amount of the FD I have in my name ( 6 lakh). Would this be enough to deal with the 'financial asset' aspect of my rejection letter? I had mentioned similar amounts in my earlier application but am I correct in assuming that it was rejected that time because it seemed suspicious to be having that much fund available when I had mentioned I would be staying with a friend?

Any input/speculation on this will be much appreciated.

I know that no one here can perfectly predict how the application will turn out, but I am hoping that this post is at least educational or helpful to someone else who might be in the same situation / have made the same mistake.

I WILL UPDATE THIS POST WITH THE RESULT OF MY TRV WHEN I GET IT. Hopefully, it will be a success this time.

 

[DHARMDEEP SINGH]

Mee too got rejection today

 

[bellaluna]

I had written that my purpose of travel was tourism yet I had mentioned in my form, as well as in my letter of explanation, that I would be staying with a friend. This most likely caused the problem as it then seemed like I was going to visit the friend instead of going there as a tourist.

IMO, that's not it at all. This is a fairly common set-up.

I think it was the lack of financial documents, even if it was not required under CAN+. Still would have been recommended.

 

[Bryanna]

So my TRV was refused last month. I applied online and as I had travelled to the US in the last 10 years, I had very few documents to submit ( under the CAN+ program for Indians ). I submitted my documents on Feb 25th and received my decision on March 10th. Now it wasn't mandatory for me to submit any financial proofs

This is a misconception of sorts. Generally, financial documents are not necessary under CAN+. But that seems to work for well-established employed/business professionals who have good financials.

As a student who is financially dependent on your parents, you would need to prove you can afford the visit even if you apply under CAN+

So I made a new application and this time around I made proper hotel ( and again flight) reservations on new dates.

Hopefully, you haven't booked confirmed tickets as it does not guarantee a visa.

On the IMM5257E form when they asked what my purpose of visit was, I said tourism ( like on my last application ) but unlike my last application , this time around, on the follow up columns asking me to list the persons/institutions I would be visiting as well as their relationship to me, I gave the names and addresses of the hostels I had made reservations at, and mentioned that these were the hostels I would be staying at ( in the aforementioned relationship column ) .

Why the change from staying with your friend to staying in hostels?

Other than the US, have you traveled to other countries as a tourist? Alone?

1. Would the fact that I said I was staying at my friend's house earlier and now I am saying that I will stay in a hostel seem suspicious? Especially since both my friend's house and the hostel is in Ottawa? I have shown hostel reservations but I am worried they might still find it suspicious and think that I will stay ay friend's house.

Yes, it does seem like a significant change in your plans.

2. As I mentioned, my mother will be sponsoring my visa this time around as well ( since I am a student). Just as in my last application. However, this time around I have attached her bank statements to the Letter of Explanation, in which it shows about 3 lakhs and in the sponsorship letter, she writes that about 2 lakh is available for me for this trip.

IMO, INR 200,000/CAD 4,000 is inadequate for your visit. It wouldn't cover the cost of airfare + your stay/meals/itinerary, etc

I have also shown my account statement ( with a paltry sum in it though ) but I have also attached a letter from the bank stating the amount of the FD I have in my name ( 6 lakh). Would this be enough to deal with the 'financial asset' aspect of my rejection letter?

Is the FD locked-in, payable on maturity? If it is not then did you include a letter from the bank which states this?

 

[Saloni.M]

This is a misconception of sorts. Generally, financial documents are not necessary under CAN+. But that seems to work for well-established employed/business professionals who have good financials.

As a student who is financially dependent on your parents, you would need to prove you can afford the visit even if you apply under CAN+



Hopefully, you haven't booked confirmed tickets as it does not guarantee a visa.



Why the change from staying with your friend to staying in hostels?

Other than the US, have you traveled to other countries as a tourist? Alone?



Yes, it does seem like a significant change in your plans.



IMO, INR 200,000/CAD 4,000 is inadequate for your visit. It wouldn't cover the cost of airfare + your stay/meals/itinerary, etc


Is the FD locked-in, payable on maturity? If it is not then did you include a letter from the bank which states this?

1. Yeah, I made sure to include the financial docs this time around
2. No, I made the mistake of doing this earlier, but this time around I booked via a reservation website that provides you with "confirmed" tickets that can be checked online but that you do not have to pay the fees of cancellation ( Fairly popular for Schengen Visas I'm told)
3. I changed it from staying with a friend to staying in a hostel because I didn't want it to seem like my purpose of the visit was "visiting friends/family" (an entirely separate option on the online questionnaire. I presume if you check this option, the final document checklist would ask you to upload an invitation letter from your friend and their standing and such). Also, I have not travelled to any other country alone, as a tourist or otherwise.
4.

Yes, it does seem like a significant change in your plans.

Yeah, this is what I am most worried about. But I did address this in the letter of explanation saying that my decision to stay with a friend was because my itinerary was undecided at the time and I thought it would let me travel with more flexibility, but that my intention is and always was tourism and not visiting the friend. I also acknowledged that it was a mistake on my part to apply like that ( ie without a fixed itinerary) without understanding the underlying concerns that would arise and that I hoped to have addressed them adequately.
5.

Is the FD locked-in, payable on maturity? If it is not then did you include a letter from the bank which states this?

No, I didn't provide any such letter but I am hoping that it doesn't matter too much given that my primary sponsor is my mother anyway ( whose financial documents I've provided )

 

[Saloni.M]

IMO, that's not it at all. This is a fairly common set-up.

I think it was the lack of financial documents, even if it was not required under CAN+. Still would have been recommended.

Yeah maybe. But, online at least, in the questionnaire they ask you to determine which documents you have to provide and create the document checklist, the option of "tourism" and "visiting friend/family" is entirely different. I think if you checked the option of visiting friend/family you would also need to provide a letter invitation from that person and explain who they are and what their standing in Canda is and such. Since I checked tourism, I was not asked to submit such a document in the checklist that was generated. I think that this is probably why I was rejected ie since I said my purpose was tourism but mentioned that I would be staying with a friend w/o providing a letter of invitation.

 

[bellaluna]

Yeah maybe. But, online at least, in the questionnaire they ask you to determine which documents you have to provide and create the document checklist, the option of "tourism" and "visiting friend/family" is entirely different. I think if you checked the option of visiting friend/family you would also need to provide a letter invitation from that person and explain who they are and what their standing in Canda is and such. Since I checked tourism, I was not asked to submit such a document in the checklist that was generated. I think that this is probably why I was rejected ie since I said my purpose was tourism but mentioned that I would be staying with a friend w/o providing a letter of invitation.

If that’s the case then that questionnaire/wizard is awfully misleading. In the end it’s still the responsibility of the applicant to provide all the requisite proof. Good luck on your next app.

 

[CAN2014FSWP]

Hey what was the result? Did you @Saloni.M get the visa? My Niece is rejected once for same reasons, it would help to know.