Extend Your Stay as a Visitor in Canada
If you have entered Canada as a visitor, no matter how long you were originally given to stay by CBSA upon entry, you can apply to extend your stay without leaving Canada.
As long as you submit an application to extend your visitor status BEFORE you are supposed to leave Canada, you will continue to have what is called implied status. This is continued legal status that allows you to remain in Canada under the same conditions that you originally entered under. Find out more information about implied status here.
If you are a visitor, this means that you are not allowed to work, and not allowed to study longer than 6 months in most cases.
If your visitor status expired within 90 days*, you may also apply to restore your legal status as a visitor without leaving Canada.
Keep in mind that status is a visitor is how long CBSA told you that you can stay in Canada when you arrived – not how long your visitor visa in your passport is valid for. Even if your visitor visa expired months ago, you could still have valid visitor status in Canada if you are already here.
If you are not eligible to extend or restore your status as a student, you may change to visitor status.
If your visitor status expired more than 90 days ago, then you may apply for a temporary resident permit. *Due to covid-19, IRCC is currently allowing people who had valid status in Canada as of January 30, 2020 to restore their status even if more than 90 days have passed since their status in Canada expired.
Fees
Fees to extend or restore status as a visitor or change conditions to visitor status usually range from $350 – $500 + $100 government application fee. For restorations, the government charges an extra $100.
**Rather than traveling during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, you are allowed to apply to extend or restore your status as a temporary resident, or apply for a TRP if your status has already expired.
