You do not “extend a visa” inside Canada—identify the actual goal.
| Goal | Correct application | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Stay longer in Canada as a visitor | Visitor record | Apply before current status expires; the record creates a new leave-by date |
| Change from worker or student to visitor | Visitor record | Apply before the permit expires; work or study must stop when the current authorization ends |
| Travel and return as a visa-required worker/student | New TRV from inside Canada, only if all listed criteria are met | A permit or visitor record is not an entry visa |
| Recover recently expired visitor status | Restoration as a visitor | Separate application, restoration fee and explanation; no maintained status while waiting |
A visitor record extends or changes status inside Canada.
- 01
Apply if you want to remain longer as a visitor, continue an activity legally permitted without a work/study permit, or change from worker/student status to visitor.
- 02
Find the current expiry date on the entry stamp, visitor record, work permit or study permit. If there was no stamp or record, status is normally 6 months from entry, subject to passport expiry.
- 03
IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before expiry. The legal deadline is before status expires; do not wait for the recommendation window if less time remains.
- 04
Request a reasonable new departure date and explain why the extension is temporary, why plans changed, how the whole extended stay will be funded and what requires departure afterward.
- 05
Each accompanying family member needs their own status and application. A family submission does not automatically extend every person.
- 06
Apply online through the IRCC secure account. Paper is limited to disability accommodation or specified exceptional situations.
A strong visitor-record application proves status, need, funds and departure.
Upload the checklist produced by the account, translations and any representative form. A long extension without a concrete purpose, funding or departure plan may raise temporary-intent concerns.
Status and identity
Passport bio page and stamps, entry evidence, current visitor record or permit, prior approvals and proof of Canadian address.
Reason and timeline
Detailed explanation, requested end date, itinerary or family/medical/event evidence, and why the situation remains temporary.
Financial support
Bank history, income or pension, host support if applicable, accommodation and a realistic budget for the additional months.
Compliance
Proof the applicant respected no-work/no-study conditions, plus honest disclosure of refusals, prior extensions and any immigration history.
A complete application filed before expiry can create maintained status.
- 01
If IRCC receives a complete visitor-record application before the current leave-by date, the applicant may legally remain in Canada as a visitor until a decision is made.
- 02
Keep the submission confirmation, fee receipt and a copy of the complete application as evidence of timely filing.
- 03
Maintained visitor status does not authorize work or study. A worker or student who applies only to become a visitor must stop the authorized activity when the existing permit expires.
- 04
An application returned as incomplete is treated as never submitted and may eliminate maintained status. A temporary resident permit application does not create maintained status.
- 05
If approved, IRCC mails the visitor record and its new expiry date controls. If refused, maintained status ends on the refusal date and departure/restoration advice should be obtained immediately.
- 06
Update the Canadian mailing address and respond to biometrics or document requests. IRCC says to contact it if the approved visitor record is not received within the published mailing period.
After status expires, restoration is limited and does not preserve status.
- 01
An eligible person generally must apply within 90 days of losing temporary resident status, continue to meet the original requirements and have complied with the other conditions of stay.
- 02
Apply to restore status as a visitor, pay both the restoration and visitor-related fees required by the live instructions, and explain fully how and why status was lost.
- 03
Restoration is discretionary and is not an extension. The person has no maintained status and cannot work or study while waiting unless a separate legal authorization applies.
- 04
A former worker or student seeking visitor restoration should address any unauthorized activity and use the correct restoration category. Do not hide the expiry or backdate documents.
- 05
After the ordinary 90-day window, restoration is generally unavailable unless a specific public policy applies; departure and a new outside-Canada application may be required.
Visitor status, a visitor record and a TRV solve different travel problems.
- 01
A visitor record shows status and the leave-by date inside Canada. It does not guarantee re-entry after travel.
- 02
A visa-required traveller normally needs a valid TRV to seek re-entry; an eTA-required traveller flying needs a valid eTA linked to the passport. Limited direct-return exceptions from the United States or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon must be checked against the live rule.
- 03
Only a person already in Canada with a valid study or work permit who plans to leave and return soon—and whose TRV is expired, expiring or single-entry—can normally use the special in-Canada TRV process.
- 04
IRCC recommends that an eligible worker/student apply for the new TRV at least 2 months before travel and not leave before receiving it. A person present only as a visitor generally cannot use this inside-Canada TRV route.
- 05
Leaving while a visitor-record application is pending does not secure return or the requested extension. CBSA makes a fresh admission decision at the border.
Government fees and outside costs must be budgeted separately.
Medical exams, translations, notarization, VAC services, passport transmission, courier, insurance and professional fees are separate. Always re-check the live fee list before payment.
| Application or service | Government fee on August 12, 2026 | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa / Super visa | CAN$100 per person | The same fee applies whether IRCC issues single or multiple entry |
| Visitor-visa family maximum | CAN$500 | Only for an eligible family of 5 or more applying together at the same time and place |
| Visitor record / extend stay | CAN$100 per person | Every family member needs their own application and status |
| Restore visitor status | CAN$246.25 per person | This is restoration, not an extension; there is no maintained status while waiting |
| Biometrics | CAN$85 per person; eligible family maximum CAN$170 | Pay only when required; prior valid biometrics may change what is needed |
| eTA | CAN$7 per person | One application at a time, linked electronically to the passport |
| Transit visa | No processing fee | A complete application and eligibility are still required |
Official sources & application
The practical answer is in this guide; use these links to verify live changes and apply officially.
Ghasedak explains the eligibility, evidence, process and important cautions in plain language. Because laws, forms, fees and filing methods can change, also check the live official instructions on the day you submit. This is general information, not individual legal advice.