To enter Canada as a foreign national, a visa or electronic travel authorization (“eTA”) is required. The border services officer at the port of entry, representing the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), will inform you of the period you are authorized to remain in Canada. The CBSA assesses entry requirements, including the purpose of the visit, financial stability, and connections to the visitor's home country. This is typically 6 months; however, an officer may provide a shorter time in some circumstances based on the expiry date of your current status document. Per the terms of entry, foreign nationals must leave Canada before the end of their authorized stay unless they seek authorization to extend their visitor visa by submitting a visitor record application. In other words, a visitor record is required to extend your stay in Canada.
About the document: visitor record
When you first come to Canada as a visitor, you use one of these documents to enter:
- a visitor visa (also called a temporary resident visa)
- an electronic travel authorization (eTA)
- a valid passport or travel document
If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a visitor (stay in Canada longer), you need to apply for a visitor record. A visitor record is not a visa.
A visitor record is a document that allows you to stay in Canada longer as
- a visitor
- a worker authorized to work without a work permit in Canada or
- a student authorized to study without a study permit in Canada
A visitor record includes a new expiry date
- That’s the new date that you must leave Canada by.
When to apply for a visitor record
You must apply for a visitor record before your current status expires. If you’re not sure when your status expires, find out how long you can stay in Canada.
Contact Us
- Suite 1500, 4 Robert Speck Parkway Mississauga, ON L4Z 1S1
- +1 (905)-805-2266
- pelicanlawcanada@gmail.com