Keep track of your status in Canada

Separate travel documents from status documents

A visa or eTA is used for travel to Canada under its rules. A study or work permit describes permission and conditions in Canada. A visitor record documents an authorized stay. None should be treated as a universal guarantee of entry.

Before booking travel, check your passport, travel document, permit, application status, and return plans together. Leaving Canada while an extension is pending can affect what you may do when you return. Get advice on your actual facts.

Start an extension well before expiry

Check current processing instructions, required documents, passport validity, and the reason you need more time. Save the submission confirmation. A draft application or payment without completed submission is not the same as a filed application.

Maintained status can apply in defined circumstances when an eligible extension is filed before status expires. Continued work or study depends on the rules and existing conditions. Do not assume that every application, including a permanent residence profile, preserves your temporary status.

Treat changes as a new question

A new employer, occupation, work location, school, program, or family circumstance can change your options or conditions. Review the change before starting work or studies under the new arrangement.

If you are finishing studies, distinguish the completion date from the date printed on the permit. Graduation, PGWP filing, and permission to work during processing have separate requirements. A permit’s printed expiry date is not the only date that matters.

Respond quickly to expiry or a refusal

If your status has expired or an application is refused, record the exact dates and preserve the decision letter. Restoration may be available only within a limited period and if you meet its conditions. A restoration application does not generally authorize work or study while waiting.

Appeals, judicial review, reconsideration, and a new application are different procedures. Not every refusal has an appeal route. A request for notes or an enquiry to a consultant does not pause a filing deadline. Seek qualified advice promptly.

Your planning checklist

Tick items as you go, or print this guide. Your selections stay on this page and are not sent to us.

• List passport, visa/eTA, permit, and authorized-stay dates separately
• Keep your permit conditions and all decision letters
• Start extension planning before the expiry date
• Check work or study permission during processing
• Review changes in employer, school, or family circumstances
• Get advice before travelling with a pending application
• Escalate an expiry or refusal immediately