Maintaining Your Status During an Extended Stay

Temporary Resident Visas are issued for a specific amount of time (for example most visitor visas are issued for 6 months maximum), which means if you have been stuck in Canada due to the pandemic, your status has likely expired.

Why is maintaining your status important?

Maintaining your status with immigration means you have permission to stay within Canada and decrease your odds of being denied entry again in the future.

What is a Visitor Record?

A Visitor Record is a document issued by the Canadian Government which allows you to stay in Canada for longer than your original visa expiry. It can also be issued if you need to change your status from a student to a visitor, for example.

Who can apply for a Visitor Record?

You should consider applying for a Visitor Record if your visitor visa is approaching expiry and you intend to stay in Canada or your student permit or work permit are nearing expiry and you will not be continuing with your studies or employment and you intend to stay in Canada.

When do I need to extend my status?

Status should be extended BEFORE your visa expires. As a general rule of thumb, you should apply 30 days before your visitor visa expires.

What if my visa has already expired?

If your visa has already expired, you will need to apply for restoration. Typically, restoration must be applied for within 90 days of a visa expiring, but due to COVID, the Canadian Government has extended the deadline for any visas which have expired since January 30, 2020 until December 31, 2020.

If your status has expired, or will shortly, do not delay in submitting your application. Contact us today to initiate your application.