If you are in Canada as a visitor, student, worker or business applicant and you do not yet hold permanent resident (PR) status, you must apply to extend your status before it expires. A Canada visa extension is a documented application: you file the right form for your permit type, pay the fee and provide evidence, typically including proof that you can support yourself.
Aval Visa handles extension applications from its Toronto office. If your status expires soon, contact us. If you still have time, the sections below set out how each type of extension works. Note that every decision rests with IRCC, and no representative can promise an outcome.
Why extending your status in Canada matters
Applying on time, before your current status expires, is what keeps you legally in Canada. It is particularly important for newcomers, who often underestimate how long an application takes.
To extend, you prepare the documents that match your permit type and submit them for assessment. In most cases you pay the government processing fee; biometrics may or may not be required, depending on where and what you are applying for. With that in mind, here is how the rules work for each route to immigration to Canada. The authoritative rules and document checklists for every permit type are published on the IRCC website, and they change from time to time.
Extending a visitor record in Canada
A Canadian visitor visa is issued for visiting family, tourism, attending a trade fair or conference, medical treatment, and certain business meetings that do not involve a Canadian contract or Canadian salary. A multiple-entry visitor visa is commonly issued for up to 10 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. On each entry, a border officer normally authorises a stay of up to 6 months. If you want to stay longer, apply to extend your status at least 30 days before it expires. The fee to extend your stay as a visitor (a Visitor Record) is currently CAD 100 per person.
If your status has already expired and you need to restore it, restoration as a visitor currently costs CAD 246.25. If you also need a new work permit the total is CAD 401.25, and CAD 396.25 for a new study permit. IRCC re-indexes its fees, so confirm the current amounts on the IRCC fee list before you pay.
For a visitor extension you will generally need to show the following:
- A genuine reason to stay longer (family visit, an urgent situation, medical treatment and so on)
- No history of breaching immigration rules, such as overstaying a previous permit
- Proof that you can support yourself for the extra period, through bank statements and other documents
- Valid medical or travel insurance covering the period you are asking for
Extending a study permit
A Canadian study permit is issued for the period of study at a designated learning institution. Canada does not issue a “student visa” as such: the study permit authorises the study, and a visitor visa or eTA is what lets you travel. Students enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) can apply to extend the study permit before it expires.
As with a visitor record, staying past the expiry date without applying has serious consequences for any future application.
The requirements for a study permit extension in Canada are:
- A letter of acceptance or proof of continued enrolment from your university, college or institution
- Transcripts and other evidence that you are actively studying and meeting the conditions of your permit
- Proof of funds for your continued studies, or a scholarship letter
- An application filed at least 30 days before your current permit expires
Extending a work permit
A Canadian work permit comes in two forms:
- An open work permit
- An employer-specific (closed) work permit
Both need to be extended, and you should apply at least 30 days before the expiry date.
An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer. It is issued to certain spouses of students and workers, to post-graduation work permit holders, to refugee claimants and to some other categories. Eligibility for spousal open work permits has been narrowed in recent years and now depends on the principal applicant’s program of study or occupation, so check the current criteria before you rely on it.
An employer-specific work permit ties you to one employer, and you can normally only apply if you have a Canadian job offer. To extend it, the employer usually has to show the job is continuing, which in many cases means a new or extended LMIA and a new offer of employment. If the extension is approved you can keep working for that employer. Alongside the above, a work permit extension in Canada normally requires:
- No criminal inadmissibility
- Tax filings up to date and a clear employment record
- Financial documents such as recent pay statements or a letter of employment
- Proof of your address in Canada, such as a lease
Extending status on a business or investment route
Business applicants also need to extend their status before applying for permanent residence. Canada has no general “investor visa”: the federal Immigrant Investor Program closed in 2014. The business routes that remain include:
- The federal Start-Up Visa program
- Provincial entrepreneur streams
- Intra-company transfers for opening or staffing a Canadian branch
and a range of other provincial business streams. In almost every case, the person arrives in Canada on a work permit while the permanent residence application is assessed, so the extension follows the work permit rules described above rather than a separate process.
Beyond the general requirements, business applicants should be aware of the following:
- Some provincial streams require a fresh provincial endorsement or support letter before a work permit can be extended.
- To extend a work permit issued under the Start-Up Visa program, the designated organisation’s support must still be valid and the business must be active in Canada.
Refugee claimants and asylum seekers
People who cannot safely return to their country of nationality may make a refugee claim in Canada. While the claim is being decided, a claimant can apply for a work permit and, in most cases, is allowed to remain in Canada.
Those permits have to be renewed while the claim is pending. A work permit issued to a claimant will generally be renewed on the following basis:
- The refugee claim is still pending before the Immigration and Refugee Board
- Documents confirming the claim is active, such as the Acknowledgement of Claim letter
- A passport and identity documents, or a written explanation where a passport genuinely cannot be obtained
- The required forms for any accompanying children under 18
- Full supporting evidence, where a separate Humanitarian and Compassionate application for permanent residence is also being made
Dependants and family members
A spouse, partner or child who came to Canada with a student or worker can also extend their status, provided the principal applicant is extending too. Dependants’ permits are usually issued to match the principal applicant’s expiry date, but they are not renewed automatically. Every family member has to file their own application and pay their own fee, and it is common practice to submit them together so the dates line up.
Multiple-entry visitor visas
A multiple-entry visitor visa cannot be extended from inside Canada. Once it expires you have to apply for a new visa. If you are in Canada and simply want to stay longer, what you need before your status expires is an extension of stay (a Visitor Record). If you intend to leave Canada and come back, you need a new visitor visa, applied for with up-to-date documents, proof of funds and evidence of the purpose of the trip. A Visitor Record on its own will not get you back into the country.
How to extend your status from inside Canada
If you are physically in Canada, you can apply to extend online. You can ask Aval Visa to prepare and file the application for you, or handle it yourself by following these steps:
- Sign in to your IRCC secure account
- Start the application online through that account
- Complete the forms for the permit type you hold
- Upload identity documents such as your passport and, where relevant, marriage or birth certificates
- Upload proof of funds, such as bank statements and other evidence of assets
- Upload documents relating to where you live in Canada
- Pay the fee online
- Submit the application
Documents needed for a Canadian visa extension
| Visa type | Application form | Financial documents | Visa-specific conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Through the IRCC secure account; check the current document checklist | Bank statements or proof of funds | Explain the reason for the stay (visit, medical treatment, etc.) |
| Study permit | Through the IRCC secure account; check the current document checklist | Funds for tuition and living costs | Letter of acceptance from the institution |
| Work permit | Through the IRCC secure account; check the current document checklist | Bank statements | Job offer |
| Start-up / investor visa | Apply through the IRCC secure account | Proof of funds to launch the business (settlement funds + backing from a qualified organization) | Letter of support from a designated organization; permanent residence application in progress |
| Dependant (accompanying family) visa | Through the IRCC secure account, tied to the principal applicant application | Proof of funds + principal applicant's documents | Tied to the principal applicant's status (study or work) |
| Visitor to TRP (Temporary Resident Permit) | As set out in Guide 5551 | Proof of funds to return home | Justified reasons for remaining beyond the authorized period |
Canada visa extension fees
| Permit type | Processing fee |
|---|---|
| Visitor extension | CAD 100 |
| Study permit extension | CAD 150 |
| Work permit extension | CAD 155 |
| Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) | CAD 246.25 |
| Start-Up Visa work permit | CAD 155 |
| Biometrics fee, if required | CAD 85 |
Practical tips before you apply
A few points are worth keeping in mind before you file.
The most important one: apply at least 30 days before your status expires. If your extension is refused while you are on implied status, you lose that status on the day of the refusal and must either leave Canada or apply for restoration within 90 days.
Keep every document that supports your application and upload it to your IRCC account when it is asked for. Incomplete applications are returned or refused, and a returned application does not preserve your status.
Any change of status is a separate matter. Moving from a visitor record to a work permit, for example, requires its own application, and in some cases has to be applied for from outside Canada. To avoid delays and refusals, complete every form carefully, apply online, and if you want representation, use a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) at Aval Visa. Only lawyers, RCICs and Quebec notaries may represent you before IRCC for a fee.
Check whether biometrics are required for your specific application before you file, and book an appointment if they are. Also watch your passport expiry date and renew it in good time, because a permit is generally not issued beyond the validity of the passport, and that alone can shorten your extension. If you are working toward permanent residence in Canada, maintaining continuous status is one of the things that keeps that option open.
Canada visa extensions with Aval Visa
Extending your status in Canada is a legal process with real consequences. Losing status can block a permanent residence application and, in serious cases, lead to a removal order, so it is worth treating the deadline seriously. If you do not have time to handle the paperwork yourself, Aval Visa can prepare and file the application. You can also call the office on 02159307.
Staying within the rules and extending on time keeps your longer-term options open, including sponsoring or inviting family members later on. What it does not do is guarantee any particular result: every application is decided by IRCC on its own merits.
Frequently asked questions
- What happens if my permit expires while my extension is being processed? If you applied before the expiry date, you have implied status. You may stay in Canada under the same conditions as your previous permit until IRCC decides the application. Implied status does not allow you to re-enter Canada if you leave.
- Can I extend my status in Canada more than once? Yes. There is no fixed limit, but every application is assessed on its own merits, and an officer must be satisfied you will leave at the end of the authorised period. Repeated extensions with weak reasons are more likely to be refused.
- How long does an extension take to process? It varies by permit type and by the volume of applications IRCC is handling. Visitor record extensions have often taken several months. IRCC publishes current processing times on its website and updates them regularly, so check there rather than relying on a figure in an article.
