If you sponsored your spouse, partner, child, parent, or grandparent and the application was refused, that refusal may not be the end. Most Canadian citizens and permanent residents have the right to appeal a refused family sponsorship to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) — an independent tribunal that will look at your case fresh. Since 2004, we have helped families across Canada reunite by appealing refusals that never should have kept them apart.
You have 30 days — the deadline to appeal is short and strict
You have 30 days from the date you receive the refusal to file your appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division. Once it passes, you usually lose the right to appeal altogether, and late appeals are rarely accepted.
How a sponsorship appeal works
A sponsorship appeal is a fresh hearing — not just a review of the paperwork. You can present new evidence and testimony to show the IAD that the refusal was wrong.
- We file your Notice of Appeal and obtain the visa office’s record of your refused application.
- We build your case — gathering the documents, evidence, and witnesses needed to answer the officer’s concerns.
- Alternative dispute resolution: many appeals can be resolved early at an informal ADR conference with the Minister’s counsel, without a full hearing.
- The hearing: if needed, we represent you at the IAD hearing and make your case for why the sponsorship should be approved.
What a successful appeal means
If your appeal is allowed, the refusal is set aside and your sponsored family member’s application is sent back to be finalized. While no outcome can be guaranteed, a successful appeal clears the path for your family to be together in Canada.