Restoration of Status in Canada
Has your visitor status, study permit or work permit expired? Restoration may be available if you apply within the usual 90-day window and meet IRCC's requirements. Start with the date you actually lost status, then choose the right visitor, student or worker route.
Usual restoration application window
Can you restore your status in Canada?
Under the ordinary restoration rules, an eligible visitor, student or worker can apply within 90 days after losing temporary resident status. Approval depends on the facts and applicable requirements. Submitting the application does not, by itself, restore your status or give you permission to work or study.
Visitor status expired
Check the end of your authorized stay, not just the expiry date on your visitor visa. A visitor record and a Temporary Resident Visa serve different purposes.
Explore the visitor route →Study permit expired
If you need to continue studying, review student restoration and a new study permit. Recent graduates should also check the separate PGWP rules.
Explore the student route →Work permit expired
Stop working when authorization ends. Restoring worker status ordinarily involves a new work permit; visitor status may be relevant if you no longer need or qualify for a work permit.
Explore the worker route →The 90-day restoration window
Reconstruct your timeline before selecting a form. The expiry date, any application submitted before expiry, and any later refusal or incomplete-file notice can change which question you need to answer.
Extend or change status
A properly submitted, eligible application before expiry may allow you to remain under maintained-status rules while IRCC decides. Work and study conditions depend on what you applied for.
Assess restoration
The ordinary route requires an eligible application within 90 days of losing status. You must explain the circumstances and meet the requirements for the status requested.
Review specific options
Ordinary restoration is generally unavailable after 90 days. Certain narrowly defined public policies can differ, so check whether one actually applies before making plans.
Maintained status vs restoration of status
These terms describe different situations. The timing of your earlier application determines whether maintained status may apply; paying a restoration fee does not create maintained status.
Swipe sideways to read the full comparison.
| Question | Maintained status | Restoration |
|---|---|---|
| When was the application filed? | Before the existing status expired, if the applicable requirements were met. | After temporary resident status was lost, ordinarily within 90 days. |
| Do you hold valid status while waiting? | You may continue under maintained-status provisions while an eligible timely application is processed. | The old status has been lost; filing does not automatically restore it. |
| Can you work or study? | It depends on the original authorization, the application filed and applicable conditions. | Generally, no work or study until status is restored and the required new permit is issued. |
| What should you check first? | Submission date, completeness and the type of extension or change requested. | Date of status loss, eligibility, requested status and supporting evidence. |
An application returned as incomplete can be treated as never submitted. This can affect maintained status and may make restoration relevant after expiry. See the IRCC guide.
Restoration routes for visitors, students and workers
Your previous document and your present goal both matter. Read the route that matches your situation, then confirm the current instructions in your personalized IRCC checklist.
Restore visitor status
If your authorized visitor stay ended, examine whether you qualify to restore status as a visitor. If your work or study permit expired and you no longer need or qualify for that permit, IRCC's visitor guide also describes a visitor-restoration route in qualifying cases.
Focus: expiry evidence, reason for the overstay, purpose of continued stay and means of support. IRCC's visitor form is IMM 5708.
Visitor record and restoration guide →Restore student status
If your study permit expired and you need to continue studying, assess restoration with a new study permit. IRCC says you cannot study until student status has been restored and the new permit received.
Focus: enrollment and study documents, permit conditions, explanation and the student application checklist. Recent graduates should review the separate PGWP rules.
Study permit guide →Restore worker status
If work authorization ended, you must stop working. To work again, an eligible worker ordinarily needs restored status and a new work permit. The available permit route may depend on employer requirements or an exemption.
Focus: your old conditions, new permit eligibility, employer documents where required, explanation and the worker application checklist.
Work permit guide →Review the timeline before filing.
A visitor, former student and former worker may need different forms, evidence and fees. VisaLine can assess the documents you already have and the route you actually qualify for.
How to apply for restoration of status in Canada
IRCC decides eligibility; this sequence helps you prepare a clearer request. The online account generates a personalized document checklist, so follow the current instructions for your application type.
- 01
Confirm the date
Check your permit or visitor record, entry stamp and any “Must leave Canada by” date. Add notices from earlier applications.
- 02
Identify the route
Decide whether the question is an extension, maintained status or restoration as a visitor, student or worker.
- 03
Gather evidence
Prepare identity documents, immigration history, proof of support and evidence specific to your requested status.
- 04
Explain the loss
Describe the events accurately in a letter of explanation. Address any missed deadline or condition without omitting relevant facts.
- 05
Submit and retain proof
Use the correct checklist, pay the applicable fees, submit within the applicable window and keep confirmation of submission.
Documents to gather before your assessment
- Passport and document showing your most recent authorized stay
- Previous work or study permit, visitor record, or entry evidence
- Earlier extension application and IRCC messages, if any
- Evidence of why you need to remain in Canada and how you will support yourself
- Supporting documents for the new permit you seek, where applicable
Applying with family?
If your spouse or dependent child also lost status, each family member needs an individual restoration application and fee. Their eligibility and requested status should be checked separately.
Start an immigration evaluation →Restoration fees and processing time
Government fees depend on the status requested and whether a new permit or another fee applies. These figures are from the IRCC fee list checked on 24 September 2026; confirm them again before you pay.
Restore visitor status
IRCC lists this as the restoration fee; a separate visitor visa fee is not needed for this service.
Restore and obtain a study permit
IRCC lists CAD $246.25 for restoration plus CAD $150 for a new study permit.
Restore and obtain a work permit
IRCC lists CAD $246.25 for restoration plus CAD $155 for a new work permit. Other applicable fees may be added.
Common situations after losing temporary resident status
These situations need careful dates and documents. A generic “apply within 90 days” answer can miss a refusal, a PGWP rule or a narrow public-policy exception.
My extension was refused after my permit expired
Rebuild the sequence: original status expiry, submission of the extension, IRCC decision and any subsequent application. Whether you had maintained status, and when it ended, depends on that history.
Explore refusal review options →IRCC returned my application as incomplete
An incomplete extension can be treated as never submitted. If your previous status has expired, assess the effect on maintained status promptly and whether restoration is still available.
Compare status situations →My study permit expired before I applied for a PGWP
IRCC has specific instructions for eligible graduates who need to restore student status while applying for a post-graduation work permit. The PGWP application window and the restoration window are distinct.
Read the PGWP guide →I have a provincial open work permit support letter
IRCC describes a limited policy for certain foreign workers with a qualifying letter from a participating province or territory. Do not assume every PNP candidate qualifies for an exception to the usual restoration rules.
Explore provincial programs →Restoration of status in Canada: frequently asked questions
The answer to an individual case can turn on a single date or condition. Use these answers to identify what to verify, then check the linked IRCC guidance.
What is restoration of status in Canada?
How many days do I have to apply?
Can I stay in Canada while IRCC processes my request?
Can I work while waiting for worker restoration?
Can I study while waiting for student restoration?
Can a former worker or student restore status as a visitor?
What if my study permit expired before my PGWP application?
Does an expired visitor visa mean my status expired?
When does the 90-day period start after an extension refusal?
What if IRCC returned my extension as incomplete?
Do my spouse and children need separate applications?
Which forms are used to restore status?
Can I restore status after more than 90 days?
Can I leave Canada while restoration is pending?
What happens if IRCC refuses restoration?
How much does restoration cost and how long does it take?
Find the right route before you file.
Bring your previous status document, its expiry date and any IRCC correspondence. VisaLine can review the timeline, the status you want to request and the evidence your application needs. A consultation is an assessment, not a guarantee of approval.
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