An applicant refused once (CAIPS notes cited: IELTS writing 5.5, unconvincing education/employment history and doubt they'd leave Canada, and ability to fund studies) planned a reapplication with three changes: a better IELTS score, a full year of prepaid fees instead of six months, and a PG diploma instead of a plain diploma. The question: enough — given they did not intend to explain a 3-year gap (2018–2021)?
The thread's verdict:
- The three changes address the stated refusal grounds — but not the gap. Better writing score fixes ground 1; a year of fees strengthens ground 3; a PG diploma is better progression than a repeat-level diploma.
- Leaving a 3-year gap unexplained is the remaining hole. The blunt advice: 'You should cover your 3 years gap which is a big question mark on your profile. Showing this open is a big risk.' The officer already flagged education/employment history once; silence on the gap invites the same refusal.
- The recently completed one-year program partially covers it. The applicant finished a one-year course in India (2021–2022); members agreed it should be shown, and the remaining 2018–2021 stretch still needs an honest account (work, family duties, preparation — whatever is true and documentable).
- On SDS rumours: the applicant had heard SDS files were seeing more rejections; the thread offered no confirmation — refusal reasons in notes, not stream folklore, are what to fix. (SDS itself was later discontinued in 2024, so this is historical.)