Master prompt
Federal Court Judicial Review (JR) — leave application narrative
Time-locked 15-day window (60-day if outside Canada). Vavilov reasonableness or Baker procedural fairness standard.
CanadaRefusalJRFederal CourtVavilovIRPA s.72
Federal Court judicial review (JR) is the formal Crown Court remedy for refused immigration applications. Governed by IRPA s.72 + Federal Courts Rules 357-359 + Federal Courts Act.
Timing:
• In Canada: 15 days from refusal to file leave application
• Outside Canada: 60 days from refusal to file leave application
• Hard deadlines; extensions require extraordinary justification
Cost:
• Federal Court filing fee: CAD 50
• Service of documents
• Canadian-licensed counsel: CAD 1,500-5,000 typical
• Pro-bono / flat-fee options exist (Hassani et al)
Standard of review:
• Reasonableness (Vavilov 2019 SCC 65) — default for visa officer decisions
• Correctness — for procedural fairness, constitutional, jurisdictional issues
• Leave grant rate: ~25-30%; settlement before hearing common
Draft a JR leave application narrative for [CLIENT_NAME] (refusal date [REFUSAL_DATE], [VISA_TYPE], located [APPLICANT_LOCATION]). Primary ground: [GROUND_OF_REVIEW].
§1 — JURISDICTION + TIMELINESS (80-100 words)
"The applicant respectfully seeks leave for judicial review pursuant to s.72(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of the decision of the Visa Officer dated [REFUSAL_DATE] refusing the applicant's [VISA_TYPE] application.
The applicant is in [APPLICANT_LOCATION]. This application is filed within the [15-day / 60-day] period prescribed by s.72(2)(b) of IRPA.
The Federal Court of Canada has jurisdiction over this application pursuant to s.72 of IRPA and Federal Courts Act s.18.1."
§2 — STATEMENT OF FACTS (200-250 words)
Chronologically:
• Date of original application
• Brief profile of [CLIENT_NAME]
• Documents submitted (high-level — list key supporting documents)
• Date of any procedural fairness letter (if applicable)
• Date of refusal
• Date GCMS notes obtained via ATIP
• Date of this leave application
No argument here. Just facts in chronological order.
§3 — THE DECISION UNDER REVIEW (100-130 words)
Quote the operative GCMS finding verbatim:
[GCMS_NOTES] — extract the key 1-2 paragraphs from the officer's notes that constitute the reasoning for refusal.
State the operative legal sections cited:
• IRPR R216(1)(b), R200, R220, etc.
• Or IRPA s.34-42 if inadmissibility grounds
§4 — GROUND(S) FOR JR (350-450 words)
The applicant submits that the decision should be set aside on the following ground(s):
GROUND 1: UNREASONABLENESS (Vavilov 2019 SCC 65)
The reasonableness standard requires the decision to be (a) intrinsically coherent, and (b) justified in relation to the facts and law (Vavilov ¶99-105).
Sub-ground 1A: Failure to grapple with key evidence
• Quote specific evidence in the record (e.g. employer letter, bank statement, property document)
• Show that the GCMS notes do not engage with this evidence
• Cite Vavilov ¶99: "Where a reasoning chain ignores or contradicts key evidence, the decision is unreasonable"
Sub-ground 1B: Failure to grasp the applicant's case
• Identify the actual case the applicant put forward (purpose of stay, ties, qualifications)
• Show how the GCMS notes mischaracterise / oversimplify the applicant's submission
• Vavilov ¶101 supports this ground
Sub-ground 1C: Justifications not provided
• Identify any conclusory finding without reasoned support ("I am not satisfied" without explanation)
• Cite Vavilov ¶136: officers must "actually engage with the issues"
GROUND 2: PROCEDURAL UNFAIRNESS (Baker v Canada [1999] 2 SCR 817)
If applicable:
• Officer relied on extrinsic evidence not disclosed to applicant
• No procedural fairness letter issued before adverse finding
• Cite Hassani v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2006 FC 1283: officer must give notice before making adverse credibility findings
GROUND 3: LEGAL ERROR (correctness standard)
If applicable:
• Officer applied wrong section of IRPA / IRPR
• Officer imported irrelevant considerations
• Officer misinterpreted statutory provision
For [GROUND_OF_REVIEW], structure 1-2 specific sub-grounds with citations to:
• The specific evidence in the record
• The specific GCMS notes content
• The specific Vavilov / Baker / Hassani / other Federal Court paragraph
§5 — RELIEF SOUGHT (60-80 words)
"The applicant respectfully requests this Honourable Court:
(a) Grant leave for judicial review;
(b) Set aside the decision dated [REFUSAL_DATE];
(c) Remit the matter for re-determination by a different officer;
(d) Award costs to the applicant;
(e) Such further or other relief as the Court may deem just."
§6 — APPLICANT INFORMATION + COUNSEL (40-60 words)
• Applicant: [CLIENT_NAME]
• Address for service in Canada: [Canadian counsel's address — required if applicant outside Canada]
• Counsel of record: [Canadian-licensed lawyer name + bar number]
• Or: applicant self-representing (rare for IRPA JR; not recommended)
§7 — DOCUMENT BUNDLE (60-80 words)
Federal Court requires:
□ Applicant's record (with affidavit + memorandum of fact and law)
□ Refusal letter
□ GCMS notes (full text)
□ Underlying application package (relevant portions)
□ Filing fee receipt (CAD 50)
□ Affidavit of service on Minister
Filing: Federal Court Registry in Ottawa (or Federal Court satellite registry — Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax). Most filings now electronic.
§8 — POST-FILING TIMELINE (60-80 words)
After filing:
• Crown receives application; 30 days to respond
• Court considers leave on paper
• Decision on leave: 4-6 months from filing
• If leave granted: full hearing scheduled in 6-9 months
• If leave denied: case ends (no further appeal short of new application based on materially new facts)
Settlement: Crown may consent to redetermination at any point — saves Crown costs + applicant time. About 30-50% of JR applications resolve via settlement.
End with: "DRAFT JR LEAVE APPLICATION — MUST be reviewed by Canadian-licensed immigration counsel before filing. Federal Court procedure is strict; non-compliance with Rules 357-359 = rejection. Verify the 15-day (in-Canada) vs 60-day (outside-Canada) deadline; non-extendable."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt