A member's friend was refused a study permit and told she remained inadmissible under paragraph 40(2)(a) — misrepresentation, carrying a 5-year bar — from a prior 2017 refusal, even though nothing about misrepresentation or inadmissibility appeared in that original 2017 refusal letter.
What the thread suggested:- Always check all correspondence associated with a prior application, not just the refusal letter itself. A misrepresentation finding can be communicated through a separate document rather than folded into the standard refusal letter.
- When IRCC bars someone for misrepresentation, they typically issue a specific document — referred to in the thread as an "18" or "40a" letter — rather than (or in addition to) a normal refusal letter. If this document was never received or seen, it's worth confirming with IRCC or checking all account correspondence rather than assuming there's an error.
- The thread raised the possibility that an agent or representative involved in the original application may have made an error (e.g. submitting incorrect or misleading information) that led to the misrepresentation finding, without informing the applicant.
The practical takeaway: if you're hit with an unexpected 40(2)(a) misrepresentation bar, look for a separate "18" or "40a" notice in your correspondence history rather than assuming it should have appeared in your original refusal letter — and consider whether an agent used in the earlier application may have submitted something that triggered it.