Extending visa from outside Canada

[Misterfluff]

Hi,

I have applied for a permanent residency but it won't go through the system for a while. I got a dual intent visa and had my visitor visa extended by an extra 6 months via a 'Visitor Record' piece of paper attached to my passport. I am currently outside Canada and want to return after (or very soon before) the extension runs out, so I want to get it extended again from outside Canada (I am in the UK & I am British). I was told this was possible by the immigration when I last entered Canada, who gave me the original extension, but on the website I can only find a form to extend it from inside Canada.

Can anyone explain how to extend it from outside Canada?

Thanks very much,

Misterfluff

 

[scylla]

Hi,

I have applied for a permanent residency but it won't go through the system for a while. I got a dual intent visa and had my visitor visa extended by an extra 6 months via a 'Visitor Record' piece of paper attached to my passport. I am currently outside Canada and want to return after (or very soon before) the extension runs out, so I want to get it extended again from outside Canada (I am in the UK & I am British). I was told this was possible by the immigration when I last entered Canada, who gave me the original extension, but on the website I can only find a form to extend it from inside Canada.

Can anyone explain how to extend it from outside Canada?

Thanks very much,

Misterfluff

It's not possible to extend from outside of Canada. Extensions only work and are only valid as long as you remain in Canada. If you want to return, you need to be holding a valid TRV. If your TRV has expired, you need to apply for a new one.

 

[scylla]

Hi,

I have applied for a permanent residency but it won't go through the system for a while. I got a dual intent visa and had my visitor visa extended by an extra 6 months via a 'Visitor Record' piece of paper attached to my passport. I am currently outside Canada and want to return after (or very soon before) the extension runs out, so I want to get it extended again from outside Canada (I am in the UK & I am British). I was told this was possible by the immigration when I last entered Canada, who gave me the original extension, but on the website I can only find a form to extend it from inside Canada.

Can anyone explain how to extend it from outside Canada?

Thanks very much,

Misterfluff

Just reread your post and realized you are British. In that case all you need is an eTA to return.

 

[Misterfluff]

Just reread your post and realized you are British. In that case all you need is an eTA to return.

Thanks very much Scylla. I have just worked out my dates and have a question as to exactly how the 6 months in a year works:

I arrived in December 2021, stayed until late March when I went overland to the USA. I returned, overland from the USA, in May and stayed until June, when I flew back to the UK. It was when I returned to Canada in May that I got the extension, because I stayed in Canada a bit more than 6 months after my original (Dec 21) entry. But in total I was actually in Canada for 145 days.

Does this mean that I can arrive, say, 33 days before the December date that I arrived last year, and I should be allowed to enter Canada and remain there for a couple of months? The logic being that once I get to 12 months after my first arrival, I will have been in Canada for 178 days (less than 180) and then as each day passes the 12 months goes back a day less so I will continue to have been in Canada for 178 days in the preceding 12 months. Is this how they calculate it or might there be a problem with this?

Thanks again

Misterfluff

 

[scylla]

Thanks very much Scylla. I have just worked out my dates and have a question as to exactly how the 6 months in a year works:

I arrived in December 2021, stayed until late March when I went overland to the USA. I returned, overland from the USA, in May and stayed until June, when I flew back to the UK. It was when I returned to Canada in May that I got the extension, because I stayed in Canada a bit more than 6 months after my original (Dec 21) entry. But in total I was actually in Canada for 145 days.

Does this mean that I can arrive, say, 33 days before the December date that I arrived last year, and I should be allowed to enter Canada and remain there for a couple of months? The logic being that once I get to 12 months after my first arrival, I will have been in Canada for 178 days (less than 180) and then as each day passes the 12 months goes back a day less so I will continue to have been in Canada for 178 days in the preceding 12 months. Is this how they calculate it or might there be a problem with this?

Thanks again

Misterfluff

There is no six month rule. If and how long you are allowed into Canada is up to CBSA.

 

[Misterfluff]

There is no six month rule. If and how long you are allowed into Canada is up to CBSA.

Hi

Thanks Scylla, but that's a very confusing reply.

I got an eTA in December last year, and I have spent nearly 6 months in Canada over a period that was in total longer than 6 months. The eTA, according to everything I have read and heard apart from your last reply, allows 6 months in Canada. To stay longer requires something more, like a visa. I have specifically been told by various border officials that it is 6 months in a 12 month period, although each person I have spoken to has said something slightly different so I don't know what the actual rules are.

I have a dual intent extension that lasts until November, but I am outside of Canada and want to return in late October or November, less than 30 days before the current extension runs out, and stay until after it runs out. So I can't wait until I arrive and ask for an extension because I am told to do it at least 30 days before it runs out. What should I do to ensure I am allowed to enter Canada in Oct / Nov and stay until I want to leave around Christmas time?

I need to know a correct answer before booking flights etc - I can't just wait and see what they say when I arrive.

Thanks

Misterfluff

 

[scylla]

Hi

Thanks Scylla, but that's a very confusing reply.

I got an eTA in December last year, and I have spent nearly 6 months in Canada over a period that was in total longer than 6 months. The eTA, according to everything I have read and heard apart from your last reply, allows 6 months in Canada. To stay longer requires something more, like a visa. I have specifically been told by various border officials that it is 6 months in a 12 month period, although each person I have spoken to has said something slightly different so I don't know what the actual rules are.

I have a dual intent extension that lasts until November, but I am outside of Canada and want to return in late October or November, less than 30 days before the current extension runs out, and stay until after it runs out. So I can't wait until I arrive and ask for an extension because I am told to do it at least 30 days before it runs out. What should I do to ensure I am allowed to enter Canada in Oct / Nov and stay until I want to leave around Christmas time?

I need to know a correct answer before booking flights etc - I can't just wait and see what they say when I arrive.

Thanks

Misterfluff

You seem to have a number of misunderstandings about how all of this works.

First of all, forget about the extension you got. This was only good while you remained in Canada. Leaving Canada effectively canceled it. It's gone.

Secondly, for both eTA holders and TRV holders, the default time you are allowed into Canada is six months. If you want to remain longer, you apply for an extension (which is what you did). But again, that extension is only good as long as you remain in Canada. Also, while the default time you are allowed into Canada is six months, the CBSA officer is the one who decides how long you get when you arrive. So this is always up to the CBSA officer and there is no way to guarantee what is going to happen when you arrive.

There is no rule that says you can only visit Canada six months out of every twelve. This is a guideline only but not a rule. Generally speaking you want to avoid having it look like you're trying to live in Canada on visitor status since this technically isn't allowed.

As for applying for an extension once you are in Canada, there is no 30 day rule. That's a guideline only. Most people do not apply this early. You just have to make sure the extension reaches IRCC before your allowed visit ends.

 

[Misterfluff]

OK, thanks very much Scylla, that's much clearer. It's extraordinary how little the border officials themselves seem to know about this - when I got given it, I got told the extension did allow me to leave and re-enter Canada during the period, and that I could extend it from the UK and this would be a valid way of continuing to be able to spend time in Canada.

But it sounds like I can basically just get a new eTA, talk to the officials at entry if necessary, and then apply for an extension if I want to stay beyond the initially allowed time. Is there a Canada immigration webpage that goes through this? If you can easily send a link please do!

Thanks very much for your help,

Misterfluff

 

[scylla]

OK, thanks very much Scylla, that's much clearer. It's extraordinary how little the border officials themselves seem to know about this - when I got given it, I got told the extension did allow me to leave and re-enter Canada during the period, and that I could extend it from the UK and this would be a valid way of continuing to be able to spend time in Canada.

But it sounds like I can basically just get a new eTA, talk to the officials at entry if necessary, and then apply for an extension if I want to stay beyond the initially allowed time. Is there a Canada immigration webpage that goes through this? If you can easily send a link please do!

Thanks very much for your help,

Misterfluff

Yes, you've got it. You just need a valid eTA. High chance you'll be allowed in for the default six months without any questions.

For whatever reason CBSA officers don't fully understand the rules and confuse people. You are by no means the first