Restoration of visitor visa - URGENT

[AngelaStar26]

Hi everyone! I have a number of questions. Please advise. So here's my story:

I arrived in Canada on a 6-month visitor visa in June 2015. Then I caught up with a Journalism Program opportunity and decided to apply for a Study Permit. In between time, I applied for a visa extension and was then on Implied Status while I focused on my Study Permit application. I applied twice (In December 2015 and January 2016) and got rejected twice -- mainly due to financial requirements. On March 21st, the verdict for my visa extension application was revealed. REFUSED. 90-day period to leave Canada or restore my visitor status. I want to restore my status in view of submitting a new Study Permit application ahead of the institution's Fall 2016 entry. My questions are as follows:

- How does the Application for Restoration work? What's the link to the forms?

- What shall it include (financial requirements especially)?

- A friend of mine who is a Canadian citizen living in the U.S. (but is NOT my relative) would like to support me financially during my stay & upcoming study program. What are the steps to take? Just write a letter of support and show bank statements?

- What happens after I submit an Application for Restoration of my Temporary Resident Status as a visitor in Canada?

- How long does it take for an Application for Restoration to be processed?

- What happens if the processing surpasses the 90-day limit from March 21st which is the date on which my Implied Status was officially ended?

- What happens when the Application for Restoration is approved? What period of time would be given for a citizen like me from Ghana?

 

[scylla]

Unless there is information you haven't provided, you don't qualify to apply for a study permit from within Canada. You can only submit your study permit application through the visa office outside of Canada responsible for your home country. Additionally, you must either have the funds available to pay for your studies yourself or they must be provided by a close family member. CIC isn't going to accept funds provided by a friend. Lastly, to be approved for a study permit, you must demonstrate that you have strong ties to your home country and have no plans on remaining in Canada long term. Given how long you have been in Canada as a visitor, it's going to be impossible for you to demonstrate ties to your home country. CIC will most likely think you aren't a genuine student but are just someone who is trying to use the study permit as a means of remaining in Canada long term. If you are serious about studying in Canada, you should leave the Canada now as you have been directed, return home and remain there for at least 6-8 months to re-establish ties (like a job and place to live) before you try reapplying for either a study permit or visitor visa. You will also have to sort out the funding issue and either save enough money yourself, or find a close family member (e.g. parent) who is willing to support you financially while you study in Canada.

I would strongly recommend against applying for restoration. I think it's certainly going to be refused given how long you've been in Canada already (it looks like you are attempting to live in Canada as a visitor which CIC doesn't like). The more refusals you rack up the more difficult it will be for you to return in the future.

 

[AngelaStar26]

Very insightful feedback. Thanks so much!!! That helps!

 

[mcu257]

Unless there is information you haven't provided, you don't qualify to apply for a study permit from within Canada. You can only submit your study permit application through the visa office outside of Canada responsible for your home country. Additionally, you must either have the funds available to pay for your studies yourself or they must be provided by a close family member. CIC isn't going to accept funds provided by a friend. Lastly, to be approved for a study permit, you must demonstrate that you have strong ties to your home country and have no plans on remaining in Canada long term. Given how long you have been in Canada as a visitor, it's going to be impossible for you to demonstrate ties to your home country. CIC will most likely think you aren't a genuine student but are just someone who is trying to use the study permit as a means of remaining in Canada long term. If you are serious about studying in Canada, you should leave the Canada now as you have been directed, return home and remain there for at least 6-8 months to re-establish ties (like a job and place to live) before you try reapplying for either a study permit or visitor visa. You will also have to sort out the funding issue and either save enough money yourself, or find a close family member (e.g. parent) who is willing to support you financially while you study in Canada.

I would strongly recommend against applying for restoration. I think it's certainly going to be refused given how long you've been in Canada already (it looks like you are attempting to live in Canada as a visitor which CIC doesn't like). The more refusals you rack up the more difficult it will be for you to return in the future.

Just out of curiousity, scylla: can one's status be restored [as a visitor] but the work permit application refused [both restoration and work permit application put together and submitted at the same time]? That's, can they restore your satus as a visitor, assuming
one never committed any act outside the confines of a visitor, leading to the status expiry, BUT the work permit application rejected? Or once any of these is refused, the whole application would be rejected/refused?

 

[scylla]

Just out of curiousity, scylla: can one's status be restored [as a visitor] but the work permit application refused [both restoration and work permit application put together and submitted at the same time]? That's, can they restore your satus as a visitor, assuming
one never committed any act outside the confines of a visitor, leading to the status expiry, BUT the work permit application rejected? Or once any of these is refused, the whole application would be rejected/refused?

When you apply to restore your status - you have to apply to restore your status back to something. So along with the restoration fee you can include a fee to extend your visitor status or your work permit or your study permit. If your restoration is approved, then whatever you applied to restore your status back to is approved too.

 

[AngelaStar26]

When you apply to restore your status - you have to apply to restore your status back to something. So along with the restoration fee you can include a fee to extend your visitor status or your work permit or your study permit. If your restoration is approved, then whatever you applied to restore your status back to is approved too.

Scylla, I have another question. Like I said, I was on a 6-month visa and then applied for an extension in time (40 days before its expiry). It took about 5 months for my visa extension application to be processed. Then it was refused. Everything happened online. In my passport, there is no page that proves that the refusal verdict was revealed on March 21st. I do have inscriptions in my passport about the two Study Permit refusals, though. So, back to the visa extension refusal: March 21st plus 90 calendar days = June 19th. I'm planning to leave Canada a few days before the deadline. At the airport, how will immigration officers be able to affirm that I have not breached any rule? Via information stored on their computer's passport numbers database? Can you explain, please?