If your visitor, worker, or student status expired before you applied to extend or change it, you may still be able to apply for restoration of status within 90 days of the expiry date.
If your visitor, student, or worker status expired, you may be worried about what happens next. Restoration is time-sensitive and depends on your previous status, the deadline, what conditions were not met, and what you are asking to restore.
This service is for people who need help acting carefully after a status problem instead of guessing or waiting too long.
If your visitor, worker, or student status expired before you applied to extend or change it, you may still be able to apply for restoration of status within 90 days of the expiry date.
The 90-day restoration window closes quickly. If you have lost your status, contact us right away. Every day matters, and a skilled consultant can assess your options and file a complete, persuasive restoration application as quickly as possible.
Restoration files require quick, accurate action. RA Migration helps clients understand the timing, previous status, requested status, and documents needed to explain the situation clearly.
We help review your status history, organize supporting evidence, prepare forms, and identify possible issues before submission. We focus on honest guidance because restoration is not automatic and depends on the facts.
If your status has expired, RA Migration can help you understand your options and prepare the next step carefully.
Yes, if you act quickly. You have 90 days from the date your status expired to apply for Restoration of Status. During that 90‑day window, you can ask IRCC to restore you as a visitor, student, or worker, whichever status you held before, provided you still meet the original eligibility requirements.
Key things to know: you cannot work or study during the restoration period; you must pay a restoration fee in addition to the regular application fee; and IRCC’s decision is discretionary. They can refuse even if you’re technically within the 90 days. Miss the 90‑day window entirely, and restoration is no longer available. If you’re staring down the expiration date, the single most important thing is to file something before the clock runs out. Don’t wait until day 89.
Don’t wait. Apply before your status expires. If you want to stay longer as a visitor, apply for a Visitor Record extension at least 30 days before your current status runs out. If you want to switch to a work or study permit from within Canada, certain programs allow that but not all, and the rules here change often.
Overstaying without taking action can lead to removal orders and future inadmissibility. This is one area where timing really matters. Call us the moment you know there’s an issue, not the week before your status ends.
Yes, in many situations. If you’re already in Canada with valid status as a visitor, student, or worker, you can often apply for a new work permit, change employers, or switch permit types from within Canada. The rules depend on your current status, what program you’re applying under, and whether your application falls under the International Mobility Program (IMP) or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP, which involves an LMIA).
Common in‑Canada pathways include: PGWP for recent graduates, Spouse Open Work Permit if your spouse has eligible status, extensions when you already have a work permit, Bridging Open Work Permits for those with PR applications in process, and changes of employer for workers with existing permits. Timing matters. Always apply before your current status expires.
It’s almost never over, but the clock is ticking, and the right move depends entirely on what you were refused for and which program. Your options may include:
Reapplying with a stronger file (often the fastest route if the refusal was about missing evidence or a weak explanation).
An appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD), available for certain family sponsorship refusals, removal orders, and residency obligation cases.
Judicial review at the Federal Court, a legal challenge arguing the officer made an unreasonable decision or breached procedural fairness. Strict 15 or 60 day deadline.
A humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) application if there are exceptional circumstances.
The first thing to do after a refusal is get the officer’s notes (the GCMS notes). They reveal why the file was actually refused. Don’t reapply blindly.
Yes, this is shaping almost every part of the system. The federal government has committed to bringing the temporary resident population below 5% of the total population by the end of 2027, down from historically high levels. To get there, IRCC has been tightening: study permit caps, reduced PGWP eligibility, narrower SOWP eligibility, lower immigration levels overall, and more scrutiny on extensions.
Practically, this means: don’t assume extensions will be automatic, don’t assume the rules that were in effect when you arrived still apply, and don’t leave status gaps or miss filing deadlines. If your current status is tied to a pathway that’s being reduced (for example, a college PGWP), it’s worth talking to an RCIC about a medium‑term strategy now rather than reacting when a restriction hits.
