Extend your stay in Canada: About the document

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
• 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.

Leaving and returning to Canada

A visitor record is a document that allows you to stay in Canada longer. It doesn’t guarantee that you can leave and then re-enter Canada.

If you plan to travel outside Canada or the United States, you need a valid entry document, such as a visitor visa or an eTA, to return to Canada.

Find out what you need to travel to Canada.

Image of a visitor visa

Image of a visitor record