What happens if you overstay your visa in Canada?
What happens if you overstay your visa in Canada?
Undoubtedly, Canada runs multiple liberal policies for its visa programs, and that makes it the most favorable immigration destination in the world. If we count on numbers, then every year, more than two lakhs applications come from different parts of the world for Canada’s immigration programs. Whether its Permanent Residence visa or Tourist visa, benefits of having a Canada PR visa in hand over any other country’s visa is incredible.
Let’s understand it by taking an example of “grist of the gossip mill”, Canada Permanent Resident (PR) visa. In most of the countries, the PR status is provided to an immigrant after completing a certain period of time at that place. However, in Canada, foreign nationals can step on the Canadian soil with Permanent resident card. It offers all the facilities and rights to its holders, which generally enjoyed by Canadian citizens except the right to vote. Moreover, after spending three years in Canada with PR status, an applicant can apply for citizenship too.
Isn’t it amazing?
Of course, it is, if you want to try, you can ask any Punjabi, you will get the same positive response from them for Canada visa. However, when we come across the word “liberal policies” frequently in articles of Canada immigration, most of us misunderstand it. We began to think leniency of the Canadian government as the freedom to do things according to our wish. Nevertheless, this is not the case in Canada. Although the government is always ready to welcome foreign workers, tourists, professionals, business persons, entrepreneurs, students and all wholeheartedly, yet it does not compromise with its legal system.
Every Canadian visa has a specific validity period. It means a visa holder can stay in Canada up to the validity period of that visa.
For example, Permanent resident visa allows its holders to stay in Canada for five years. On the other hand, tourist visa grants validity period of six months only.
So, according to the visa, the holder needs to plan his/her stay in Canada. On the contrary, if a visa holder overstays in Canada beyond the validity of his/her visitor visa, study visa, work visa, or more, then he/she will become an illegal immigrant.
Defaulters have to face harsh circumstances for living in Canada without legal permission or status which may include,
- Lifelong ban from entering Canada again
- Never able to apply for any other Canada visa
- Imprisonment
- Get listed in RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) list
- Deportation
Moreover, there are many cases where immigrants had faced a medical crisis in Canada because they denied getting treatment under the government’s health scheme without legal status. Similarly, workers who overstay in Canada often get exploited by the employers or need to work in bad conditions in fear of losing a job or being ordered to leave Canada. On a long-term basis, they have no other options instead of accepting such situations silently.
Restoration of status:
If a visa holder overstays in Canada for 90 days or less beyond the validity of his/her Canada’s visa, then he/she can restore the status under the same category or a new one. He/she needs to fill an application form and provide information on the situation or reason for living in Canada longer than allowed. After submitting the required documents and payment of the restoration fee, your application process for new legal status or restoration of status gets completed. However, remember, filling the application doesn’t guarantee approval.
Keeping in line, those immigrants who overstay more than 90 days, they are not able to restore the status again and hence, it is advisable to leave the country.
Permanent resident application:
There is more possibility of extending the stay in Canada without having a legal status. However, here the limiting factor is a person who overstays in Canada without legal permission must have a spouse or common-law partner in Canada with permanent residency status. His/her spouse can sponsor the individual via inland Canada spouse visa for permanent residence.
For further information on Canada’s immigration, its programs, eligibility criteria, point-system or more, feel free to contact experts of countrywide visas. Countrywide visas is one of the fastest growing Immigration consultancies with a large, devoted team of Immigration experts offer hassle-free and professional services to its clients. They help aspiring immigrants in filing their applications for various immigration programs.
You are welcome to call us or send us an email with your immigration questions and inquiries. You may contact us on 011-41075840 / 011-41045840 or leave a mail at info@countrywidevisas.com. You may also fill the Technical Assessment Form for free to get a call back from our Immigration Specialists. All you need to do is fill an assessment form and let our immigration experts assist you over the phone call or by meeting you in person and give you the best available options to fulfill your dreams of settling abroad.