Canada, the North American country, has been a tourists’ main attraction for a long time. It is not hard to lose yourself in the beauty of the biggest city of Canada, Toronto, and other tourist spots.
That’s why people extend their stay in Canada very frequently. However, there might be other reasons for extension too. If you want to extend your visa for Canada, you may want to look into visitor visa extension Canada processing time.
However, should you extend your visitor visa or apply for a new one? Or do you need a visa to extend your stay? We will answer all your questions in this article and enhance you with the necessary information you will have to have to extend your stay in Canada. So, stick to it till the end.
Who Can Apply?
Before applying for an extension, the first question is, “do you fall in the category of applying for an extension?” If one of the following is your intention, you can consider yourself eligible for extending your stay.
- Extend your stay as a visitor
- Correct problems with your status
- Change the conditions of your visit (a work permit to a visitor record, a study permit to a visitor record)
Regardless of how you entered Canada (whether using a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization), you will need a visitor record for extending your stay. That is because visitor records help you to live longer in Canada. So, let’s dive deeper into it.
When Can I Apply
Almost all Canadian visitors are permitted to stay for six months. One vital point to keep in mind is that you should apply for a visa record before your current visa expires. If you use it after expiring, you will be counted as an illegal inhabitant as your visa will be out of date.
Your status expires six months from when your passport expires or your date of entry, whichever comes first if you entered Canada through a primary inspection kiosk.
The Documents Needed for Extension
You will need the visitor record for extending your stay. First of all, a visitor record is not a visa. Instead, it is a legal document that portrays that you are legally allowed to stay in Canada.
Your visitor record does not finalize your reentry into Canada. However, it means that if you leave Canada before your visitor record expires, there will be no guarantee that you will get a legal chance of reentering Canada.
With that in mind, your visitor record also had an expiry date which you need to bear in mind. If your visitor record expires, you must submit another extension. If you can’t do so, you must leave the country.
The Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), or Immigration may issue a visitor record for extension reasons.
Paying the Fees
There might be some extra fees you need to pay for visitor records. One of the most common reasons for paying a fee is making changes. People make mistakes in these documents all the time. They put incorrect information subconsciously or hurriedly.
However, you can’t get your visitor record unless every piece of information in the form is correct. For making these corrections, people have to give penalties, and those penalties are money.
That’s why it is always best to fill out each information correctly. Your personal information is the most important. Additionally, you may need to save your document number for future references.
Depending on the situation, there may be other fees you have to pay also. So, be prepared for that.
Submitting the Forms
Submitting the forms is the easiest step of this process. Gone are those days when you had to travel to the office for all the procedures. Now, you can fill and submit the form and other supporting documents online sitting at your balcony.
However, if you prefer paper options, you have that option available too. Many people do fill out papers, but it takes longer to process than the online form.
For example, while the paper forms may take 111 days approximately for processing, the online forms may take only 103 days.
Next Steps
After your application has been processed, there are three possible results:
- You can get a successful application to bring you an immigrant document for staying longer within a few days.
- Or, you can get a refused application which unfortunately states that you have to leave after your visa expires.
- Your extension can be refused. In that case, you will 90 days to apply for restoration.
To Conclude
Now, you know the necessary documents and steps to extending your stay in Canada. Be transparent in the process. As a result, hopefully, your visitor record application will be approved, and you will be good to go.
