Short answer: to stay in Canada longer than your authorized period, you apply online to IRCC for a Visitor Record before your current status expires, pay the $100 CAD fee, and (if you applied on time) you keep "maintained status" so you can legally remain in Canada while a decision is pending. Most visitors are authorized to stay for up to 6 months, but a border services officer decides the actual period at entry and can grant more or less; if no date is stamped in your passport, the standard is generally 6 months from the day you entered. If you need to stay longer, to care for a family member, recover from illness, extend a visit, or wait for a travel document, this guide walks through eligibility, the application steps, fees, maintained status, what happens if your status lapses, and whether you can work while you wait. It is educational information, not legal advice, and a final decision always rests with an IRCC or CBSA officer.
Calculate Your Extension Fees
Use the fee calculator to see the current cost of a Visitor Record application and related IRCC fees.
Fee Calculator, freeWhat Is a Visitor Record?
A Visitor Record is a document issued by IRCC that sets a new date by which you must leave Canada, effectively extending your authorized period as a visitor. It is not the same as a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA): a TRV or eTA is a travel document that lets you board a plane to or enter Canada, while a Visitor Record only governs how long you can stay once you are already inside the country. What this means for you: a Visitor Record on its own does not let you leave and re-enter Canada. If you travel abroad and your TRV or eTA has expired, you will need a valid travel document to come back, even if your Visitor Record is still valid.
A Visitor Record does not let you work or study in Canada, it only extends your visitor status. If you want to work, you must apply for a work permit, and to study a program longer than six months you generally need a study permit. There is no single guaranteed length: an officer decides the new expiry date based on your reasons and supporting documents, so a Visitor Record may be issued for a few weeks or for several months.
The 6-Month Default Stay
Most visitors are allowed to stay for up to 6 months, but this is not automatic. A border services officer decides your actual authorized stay at the port of entry and can grant more or less than 6 months. Your authorized stay is generally 6 months from the date of entry unless one of the following applies:
- ✓ A border services officer writes a specific date in your passport or gives you a document, that date is your authorized stay limit (it can be shorter or longer than 6 months)
- ✓ Your passport or your biometrics expire before 6 months, your authorized stay generally ends on whichever comes first
- ✓ Your TRV expires before 6 months, your authorized stay can end when the TRV expires (for visa-required nationals)
Check whether you got a stamp: Some visitors assume they automatically have 6 months. If you do not get a stamp in your passport, you can generally stay 6 months from the day you entered (or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first). If a border services officer wrote an earlier date or gave you a document, that controls. If you arrived through a primary inspection kiosk and want certainty about your departure date, you can ask a border services officer for a stamp.
How to Apply for a Visitor Record (Extension)
Critical deadline: Apply for a Visitor Record BEFORE your current authorized stay expires. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before your authorized period ends, applying on time is what lets you keep maintained status and stay legally while you wait for a decision.
- 1Confirm your current status and expiry date: Know the exact date your authorized stay ends (the stamp in your passport, the date on a document, or 6 months from entry if no date was given). You apply from inside Canada using IRCC's online portal.
- 2Log in to your IRCC secure account: Applications are submitted online at ircc.canada.ca. Create an account if you do not have one, then start an application to extend your stay as a visitor.
- 3Complete the application forms: The main form is IMM 5708 (Application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay or Remain in Canada as a Visitor or Temporary Resident Permit Holder). IRCC Guide 5551 explains how to fill it out.
- 4Gather supporting documents: A valid passport covering your intended stay, financial evidence that you can support yourself, proof of your reason for extending (medical documentation, a family emergency letter, etc.), and ties to your home country showing your stay is temporary.
- 5Pay the application fee: Currently $100 CAD per person for a visitor extension/visitor record. Verify the current fee on the IRCC fee list before submitting.
- 6Submit before your status expires: If you submit before your authorized stay ends, you get maintained status (formerly called implied status) and can stay while IRCC processes the application.
Maintained Status (Implied Status): Staying Legally While You Wait
If you submit your Visitor Record application before your authorized stay expires, you get what IRCC now calls maintained status (previously known as implied status). This means:
- ✓ You may remain in Canada under the same terms and conditions as your current visitor status while IRCC processes your application
- ✓ Maintained status continues until IRCC makes a decision and notifies you
- ✓ If your application is approved, IRCC issues a Visitor Record with a new expiry date
- ✓ If your application is refused, your maintained status ends and you are expected to leave Canada promptly
Maintained status does NOT let you leave Canada and re-enter on its own. If you leave Canada while waiting, you can generally only return if you still hold a valid TRV or eTA, and leaving may complicate your pending application. Do not assume a pending extension is a re-entry document, plan to stay in Canada until you receive a decision unless you have a valid travel document and understand the risks.
What Happens If You Overstay?
If you remain in Canada after your authorized stay ends without an approved extension or maintained status, you have lost your status. There is no single automatic fixed-length ban just for overstaying, but it can have serious consequences:
90 days to restore your status
If you lose your visitor status, you generally have up to 90 days from the day you lost it to apply to restore it from inside Canada. You must pay the restoration fee plus the visitor fee and show you still meet the conditions. After 90 days you can no longer restore and are expected to leave.
Removal from Canada
Staying without status can lead to a removal order from CBSA. A removal order can carry its own consequences for returning to Canada, depending on the type of order and circumstances.
Effect on future applications
A history of staying past your authorized period is generally a negative factor an officer can weigh in any future application (visitor visa, work permit, study permit, or PR). It is separate from misrepresentation under IRPA s.40, which carries a 5-year inadmissibility.
No right to work
Visitors are not authorized to work in Canada, with or without status. Working without a permit while out of status compounds the violation.
If you realize your status has lapsed, consider speaking with a licensed immigration lawyer or a CICC-regulated consultant right away, especially because the 90-day restoration window is time-sensitive. Some situations can be addressed through restoration of status, and complex admissibility issues sometimes through a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP). This is educational information, not legal advice.
Can You Work While Waiting for a Visitor Record?
No. Maintained status from a Visitor Record application keeps your visitor conditions, and visitors are not authorized to work in Canada. Working without a work permit is a violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act regardless of whether you have a pending extension application.
If you want to work in Canada, you must apply for the appropriate work permit separately. In some cases you can apply to change your status from visitor to worker from inside Canada if you have a qualifying job offer and meet the eligibility requirements. An officer decides whether you qualify, so confirm the current rules on canada.ca before relying on this.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will my Visitor Record be for?+
IRCC officers decide the length of the extension based on the reasons provided in your application. Extensions are not always for 6 months, if your reason is time-limited (medical appointment, event, pending travel document), the Visitor Record may match that period. There is no guaranteed minimum.
Can I apply for a Visitor Record multiple times?+
Yes. You can apply for multiple extensions, but IRCC officers assess each application on its merits. Repeated extensions raise questions about whether you are a genuine temporary resident. Ensure you have clear, documented reasons for each extension.
My authorized stay was not stamped, how do I know when it expires?+
If CBSA did not stamp a specific date, your authorized stay is 6 months from the date of entry as shown in the Canadian landing record. Check your passport for the date of entry stamp. If in doubt, contact IRCC or check your travel history on the IRCC client portal.
Can I leave Canada to visit the US while my Visitor Record application is pending?+
It is generally not advisable. While you are on maintained status, your right to stay applies inside Canada. If you leave, you can only return if you still hold a valid TRV or eTA, and your pending application does not itself serve as re-entry authorization. Leaving can also complicate or undermine your application, so plan to remain in Canada until you receive a decision unless you have a valid travel document and understand the risks.
How much does it cost to extend my stay with a Visitor Record?+
The visitor extension/visitor record fee is $100 CAD per person. If you also lost status and need to restore it, a separate restoration fee applies in addition to the visitor fee. Fees can change, so always confirm the current amount on the IRCC fee list before you pay.
What happens if my status already expired? Can I still stay?+
If your status has lapsed, you have lost your status, but you generally have up to 90 days from the day you lost it to apply to restore your status as a visitor from inside Canada (paying the restoration fee plus the visitor fee and showing you still meet the conditions). After 90 days restoration is no longer available and you are expected to leave Canada. Because the window is time-sensitive, consider getting professional advice quickly.
Is maintained status the same as implied status?+
Yes. Maintained status is the current term IRCC uses for what was previously called implied status. It means that if you applied to extend your stay before your current status expired, you can legally remain in Canada under the same conditions until IRCC decides your application.
How long does it take to process a Visitor Record?+
Processing times vary and change frequently, so this guide does not quote a fixed number. Check the current processing time for extending your stay as a visitor on canada.ca. Applying at least 30 days before your status expires gives you maintained status, so you can stay legally even if processing takes longer than expected.
Important: Immigration fees and processing requirements change. Always verify current requirements, fees, and form numbers on the IRCC website before applying. This is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration lawyer if your situation is complex.
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.