As part of its efforts to improve transparency and service delivery, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its policy on accessing immigration officers' internal decision notes following an application's refusal.
As of July 29, 2025, IRCC began proactively providing Officer Decision Notes (ODNs) alongside refusal letters for certain types of applications. This change makes it significantly easier for applicants to immediately understand why their application was refused and what steps to take next.
What's Changing?
Applicants will now receive the immigration officer's internal notes, or Officer decision notes (ODNs), automatically with their refusal letter for the following types of applications:
- Temporary resident visas
- Visitor records
- Study permits
- Work permits
What are Officer Decision Notes (ODNs)?
ODNs are the internal notes recorded by immigration officers as they assess an application. These notes often detail:
- the officer's reasoning for the decision that was rendered;
- supporting evidence (or lack thereof) considered by the officer; and
- other concerns or inconsistencies found in the application.
Having immediate access to this information helps applicants make informed decisions about what to do next, whether that means submitting a new application to IRCC, requesting a reconsideration of the decision, seeking legal advice, and/or pursuing a judicial review.
Why This Matters
Prior to this change, when an application was refused, the refusal letter itself often lacked specific details explaining the decision. The language used on refusal letters was standard templated language rather than including the Officer's specific rationale. Instead, the ODNs containing their specific rationale were only included in IRCC's internal electronic system, the Global Case Management System (GCMS). To obtain a copy of the ODNs which typically help applicants to better understand why their application was denied and make an informed decision on next steps, applicants had two options:
- Filing an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request under the Privacy Act to obtain the notes ($5.00 processing fee); or
- Initiating an application for leave and judicial review with the Federal Court of Canada ($50.00 processing fee).
If an applicant chose to engage a representative for assistance, these options would also incur legal fees. This shift promotes access in the process, efficiency, and transparency.
When applying at the Federal Court for Judicial Review, applicants are subject to tight timelines; a 60-day deadline to file with the Court for decisions made outside of Canada, and only 15 days for decisions made inside of Canada. ATIP requests often take more than 60 days to be processed, leaving applicants without the opportunity to access these notes before the close of the deadline for judicial review. As such, applicants had no other option than to file an initiating notice of application with the court by the 15- or 60-day deadline to preserve the option of seeking a judicial review of the decision. With the proactive release of the ODNs, applicants can forego relying on the court process and potentially incurring unnecessary legal fees to receive the reasoning for their refusal. They can now make an informed decision to proceed with the court process, or not, immediately following receipt of IRCC's decision.
Key Benefits of this Policy Change
- Transparency: Applicants get immediate insight into why their application was refused.
- More informed responses: Knowing why the officer refused the application from the outset makes it easier to decide whether to reapply or to challenge the decision.
- Less strain on the court system: Fewer people will need to pursue an application with the Federal Court just to obtain the reasoning behind a refusal.
- Greater access and fairness: Applicants unfamiliar with the formal request process can now access this critical information without navigating the ATIP process and legal system.
Limitations to be Aware of
While this is a significant step forward, the change does come with a few limitations. For example, ODNs are only provided for some temporary immigration application types (i.e., temporary resident visas, visitor records, study permits, and work permits).
In some cases, IRCC may redact parts of the notes due to privacy, security, or admissibility concerns. In such cases, applicants may still need to use the ATIP process or judicial review channels to access full details on the officer's reasoning.
Additionally, applicants who submit their applications through the IRCC Portal – New Version, as opposed to the IRCC portal, will not receive ODNs at this time.
What's Next?
Right now, this policy only applies to refusals for the listed application types. IRCC has expressed that it does plan to include more types of applications over time. However, it is not clear when we can expect to see this expansion, and what other application types will be included.
Ultimately, this is a welcome development for immigration applicants, lawyers, and advocates who have long pushed for better transparency in the immigration system. IRCC's new approach to sharing ODNs is a meaningful improvement in how immigration decisions are communicated. It supports faster decision-making, more equitable access to information, and a more efficient overall process.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
