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Change Conditions / Extend Status
Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada
Visitors, workers and international students may need to extend their temporary status or change the conditions on their immigration document before it expires. The correct application depends on your current status, what you want to change and whether you are applying before or after expiry.
What Does “Change Conditions” Mean?
Temporary residents can have conditions attached to their stay in Canada. A change-conditions application may be needed when you want to stay longer, change the type of temporary status you hold, change an employer or job on an employer-specific work permit, change a post-secondary DLI, or correct another condition that requires a new immigration document.
Extend Your Stay
Apply before your current visitor status, work permit or study permit expires if you need more time in Canada and remain eligible.
Change a Permit Condition
Examples include changing an employer or job on an employer-specific work permit or obtaining a new study permit when changing post-secondary schools.
Change Temporary Status
For example, a worker or student who wants to remain in Canada as a visitor may apply for a visitor record before current status expires.
Choose Your Current Situation
You may need a visitor record if you want to:
- Stay in Canada longer as a visitor
- Change from worker or student status to visitor status
- Change certain conditions of your visitor stay
- Restore visitor status after expiry, if eligible
You may need a new or extended work permit if:
- Your work permit will expire soon
- Your employer-specific job is extended
- Your pay or responsibilities materially change
- You receive a different job offer
- You want to change employers
You may need to extend or change your study permit if:
- Your studies continue beyond the current permit expiry
- You change your post-secondary DLI
- You need to change a condition listed on the permit
- You need restoration after losing student status, if eligible
Changing Jobs or Employers in Canada
Employer-Specific Work Permit
If you want to work for a different employer, you normally need to apply for a new employer-specific work permit if eligible. You should not simply start the new job because you submitted an application.
Possible Interim Work Authorization
After applying for a new employer-specific work permit from inside Canada, eligible workers may request IRCC authorization to start the new job while the application is being processed. You must wait for IRCC's authorization before starting under this process.
Changing Schools as an International Student
Current IRCC rules require a student in Canada with a valid study permit who wants to change post-secondary schools to be accepted by the new DLI and apply to extend the study permit for the DLI change. Do not rely on the older process of simply updating the DLI in an online account.
Maintained Status — When You Apply Before Expiry
If a complete eligible extension/change application is submitted before current temporary status expires and you remain in Canada, you may be allowed to remain while IRCC makes a decision. This is commonly called maintained status.
Restoration of Temporary Resident Status
In a standard case, a temporary resident who loses status may be eligible to apply for restoration within 90 days of losing status, provided the applicable restoration requirements are met. Restoration is not guaranteed.
While Restoration Is Pending
Do not assume you can keep working or studying simply because a restoration application was filed. In ordinary restoration cases, authorization to work or study is not automatically preserved after status was lost.
More Than 90 Days
The standard restoration route generally requires action within 90 days. Limited special public-policy exceptions can exist for specific groups, so an individual assessment may be needed before deciding the next step.
Current IRCC Government Fees
Extend your stay as a visitor, per person.
Study permit, including extensions, per person.
Work permit, including extensions, per person.
Current restoration fee; visa fee not required for this restoration item.
Current restoration fee plus a new study permit.
Current restoration fee plus a new work permit.
Before You Apply
Check Expiry
Confirm the exact expiry date of your current temporary status or immigration document.
Identify the Change
Determine whether you need an extension, new permit, change to visitor status or restoration.
Confirm Eligibility
Check the requirements for the new status, employer, school or permit before filing.
File Before Expiry
Whenever possible, submit a complete application before current status expires.
How Sia Immigration Can Help
Need to Extend or Change Your Status in Canada?
The correct application depends on what status you have now, when it expires and what you want to change. Filing the wrong application can affect your ability to remain, work or study in Canada.
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