Different from permanent residents (PRs), visitors and study or work permit holders in Canada only hold temporary immigration status. Temporary residents normally have 90 days after their status expires to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to restore it.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected this process. For instance, some temporary residents in Canada may have difficulty providing complete applications or finding flights home. The pandemic also has an impact on IRCC’s ability to process these applications.
As a result, IRCC has recently announced a new policy that allows an extension beyond the 90-day timeframe for foreign nationals in Canada.
