Process of Extension of Canadian Visa if It Expires During Your Travel to Canada

You can extend the Canadian visa before it expires while you are travelling. You can apply for the process of an extension before 30 days of expiry.

If you want to extend as a visitor in Canada you need to apply for a visitor record. Visa and visitor registration both are different.

How to Extend Your Stay?

You use one of these documents when you first visit Canada as a visitor:

• Visitor visa or Temporary resident visa
• eTA or electronic travel authorisation
• Valid passport

You should apply for a visitor record if you want to prolong your visit to Canada (stay for longer) as a tourist. The visitor record is different from a visa, and both are not the same. No visa is a visitor record.

What is a Visitor Record?

It is a type of document that lets you live longer as a tourist in Canada. It also contains a new expiry date where a person must leave Canada after their tenure.

Before your current status expires, you must apply for a visitor record. Find out how long you will live in Canada if you are not sure when your status expires.

Some visitors can spend up to six months in Canada. When you have reached Canada, if your passport was stamped, you will leave the country by that date stamped in your passport. You will leave Canada before the expiry date specified in the visitor register if you have a visitor record. 

You can only remain in Canada if your passport has not been stamped and you have used the Primary Inspection Kiosk Up to six months after you joined the country initially, or whatever comes first before your passport expires.

Returning and Leaving Canada 

The visitor record is a paper that also lets you stay longer and register as a guest in Canada. It does not mean that you will go back to Canada. When you intend to travel outside Canada or the United States, you will need to return to Canada with a valid entry document, such as a tourist visa or eTA.

How and Who can Apply for a Visitor Record or eTA?

The visitor record is for those who wish to extend their stay in Canada and who want to continue their work or student permit.

It doesn’t matter whether you have arrived in Canada with a visitor’s visa, eTA or other documents. You need a visitor record if you wish to broaden your time in Canada as a visitor.

You can apply at least 30 days before the end of the current status if you want to extend or change your visit as a visitor (for example from an international student or worker to a tourist).

Your status expiry date is

• Visa stamp in passport (not the visitor visa date).The expiry date is six months from the day you reach Canada if you have no stamp on your passport.
• Study visa
• Work visa
• Visitor record, if already applied.

Application Process to extend your Stay beyond Visa Validity Period

To extend your stay as a guest, you must apply online to get a visitor the record. We obtain your application directly online when you submit, which will enable us to evaluate your application more quickly. You will not have to re-send your request online if you have already applied on paper.

Applying Online Helps You in Many Ways

• We get your application immediately, no need of paying courier fee, as well as mail delivery time.
• Your request will be handled faster.
• It allows you to ensure that you complete your application before submitting your application.
• Further documents can be submitted online quickly (if you request).
• Please visit your online account for updates of the status of your application.

For more information related to the submission of the online application, you can refer to the Canadian immigration site.

Suppose if You are not able to Apply Online for Visa Extension

You can send the forms manually under the following cases

• If you are a person with disabilities 
• Issues with your online application process

After Applying- Processing time for Visa Extension

When your processing time is up, you can contact us using the web form available on the Immigration website of Canada. Select one of the temporary residency options (online or paper) for the “form of application or enquiry.”

You can legally live in Canada until a decision is taken in respect of your application if you intend to prolong your stay in Canada until the day you are supposed to leave. You have implied standing in this case.

About Post Author

Shobha Vats

See author's posts