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Refused on 'cost-benefit' despite showing ₹2cr: how officers count costs, and what a reapplication must answer

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • GCMS/ATIP notes

    Revealed the refusal ground: the officer questioned the cost-benefit of the program and worked from a much higher cost figure than the tuition alone.

  • Conditional-offer compliance receipt

    The offer letter required completing an accounting principles course — members flagged that the enrollment receipt should have been in the application.

Step-by-Step

A non-SDS applicant paid CAD 5k tuition upfront, showed ₹2 crore in funds, and was still refused — with the officer's notes citing cost-benefit and a puzzling CAD 82k cost figure against a CAD 35k total fee. The thread decodes both mysteries:

  1. The 82k isn't a mistake — it's fees plus living costs. Members concluded the officer's figure combined the full program fee with estimated living expenses for the duration (and possibly a misread of the fee schedule: ~31k first year, ~5k second year). Officers evaluate the whole cost of the plan, not the tuition line.

  2. Big bank balances don't answer cost-benefit. ₹2cr proves you can pay; the refusal asks why this program is worth that outlay for this applicant. The SOP must argue return on investment: what the program adds over cheaper local options, and how it pays off in your career.

  3. The reapplication plan endorsed by the group: defer to the next intake, then reapply with an SOP that explicitly walks through the cost-benefit math — program cost (including living expenses, using realistic figures), expected career outcome, and why the premium over studying at home is justified.

  4. Check conditional-offer strings. The offer letter required an accounting principles course; members asked whether its enrollment receipt was included. Unmet or undocumented offer conditions give officers an easy extra doubt.

  5. If an agent filed it, make them earn the fix — or handle the reapplication yourself with the notes in hand.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Don't: Don't assume large funds settle 'cost-benefit' — the officer is questioning the plan's value, not your ability to pay.
  • Do: Budget the officer's way in your SOP: full program fee plus living costs for the whole duration, and justify that total against career outcomes.
  • Do: Document compliance with every condition on your offer letter (prerequisite courses, receipts) inside the application.

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