The sad reality is that in many cases, visa officers have made up their mind before they even start the interview. Other times, they decide within minutes, relying on their "gut" -subjective findings based on assumptions, stereotypes, "cultural arguments" and generalizations. Satzewich, in Points of Entry notes a designated immigration officer advising that he/she looks at "body language, eye contact, their demeanour, if they are fidgety, if they are looking at the wall..." (p. 228). Proving this, either at an appeal at the Immigration Appeal Division (luckily, not such an issue since such an appeal is de novo) or at judicial review, is difficult. No officer would admit to a bias. Officers have learned not to record biased comments in their notes post-Baker. Most probably could deny that they had a bias even under a lie detector test, or application of sodium pentathol. Few individuals have the ability to view their own actions (especially if it means a realization that they are not being fair) objectively. The underlying reason is of course, confirmation bias: Confirmation bias, also called confirmatory bias or myside bias,[Note 1] is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms...
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