Temporary residents have more time to extend stay in Canada

Canada is offering more flexibility to temporary residents who want to extend their stay in the country.

Due to challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a new policy that provides such individuals with more time to apply for a restoration of status.

Up until this new announcement, temporary residents had 90-days to submit a restoration of status application.

They now have until December 31, 2020 to apply to restore their status, assuming they meet the requirements of the status they are applying to restore.

Do you want help restoring your status? Please contact wp@canadavisa.com

This policy applies to former work permit, study permit, and temporary resident visa (TRV) holders who are currently in Canada and whose status expired after January 30, 2020.

This change also enables former work-permit holders who are applying for an employer-specific work permit to work in Canada while the federal government makes a decision on restoring their application. These individuals need to have a job offer, must submit a work permit application supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or possess an LMIA-exempt job offer, and thirdly, they must notify IRCC about their current situation.

Throughout the pandemic, IRCC has been encouraging temporary residents who have remained in the country to renew their work, study, or temporary resident status in order to maintain their legal authority to be in Canada.

At the same time, IRCC recognizes that the coronavirus pandemic has interfered with the ability of temporary residents to submit completed applications, and IRCC's ability to process them. Moreover, IRCC understands that such individuals have experienced difficulties returning home due to limited flights and lock-downs around the world.

Need assistance restoring your status? Contact wp@canadavisa.com