Visitor record refused: your status, the 90-day restoration window, and your options

By Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 10, 2026

Published November 11, 2026

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2019, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 10, 2026: sections 181, 182 and 183 of the Regulations, IRCC’s “Extend your stay: after you apply” page (modified January 27, 2026) and IRCC’s fees (modified September 21, 2026) checked that day.

If IRCC refused your application to extend your stay as a visitor (a visitor record), your maintained status has ended. While the application was pending, IRCC says you could “legally stay in Canada until a decision is made”. Once it is refused, you no longer have status unless you hold another permit. You then have three realistic choices: leave Canada, apply to restore your status within 90 days with an application that answers the officer’s concerns, or challenge the refusal in the Federal Court within 15 days if the officer made an error. Staying on without doing any of these is what turns a refusal into a removal problem.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, prepares visitor extension and restoration applications and takes refusals to the Federal Court; this guide is by Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha.

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Why are visitor records refused?

• The officer is not satisfied you will leave at the end of the extended stay.
• The reason for staying longer is unclear or not supported.
• Not enough money for the longer stay.
• Signs of work or study without authorization.
• Repeated extensions that look like living in Canada rather than visiting.

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• reading the refusal and notes to see what the officer needed;
• a restoration application within 90 days that answers it;
• judicial review within 15 days if the officer got it wrong;
• a plan to leave cleanly if that is the better route.

Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only lawyers can appear for you in the Federal Court.

What are my options?

1. Restoration within 90 days under section 182 of the Regulations, with a stronger application. The fee to restore visitor status is $246.25.
2. Leave Canada before the situation gets worse, keeping proof of the date you left.
3. Judicial review within 15 days if the officer ignored evidence or misread your situation.
4. Another route, such as a sponsorship or permit you qualify for, where one genuinely fits.

A visitor record refusal at a glance

Worked example: the grandparent visit

Example. A grandmother visiting her family in Abbotsford applied to extend her stay to help after a new baby, but the officer was not satisfied she would leave. The refusal arrives on Monday, January 11, 2027. Within the 90 days, she applies to restore her status, this time with a return ticket, a letter from her employer at home, proof of her home and pension, and her family’s financial support.

Mistakes I have seen

• I have seen visitors keep staying for months after a refusal, waiting to “try again later”.
• I have seen visitors file a second extension instead of a restoration application.
• I have seen restoration applications that repeat the same thin documents as the refused one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stay in Canada while restoration is processed?

You can apply from inside Canada, but you have no status while it is pending, and restoration may be refused. Get advice on the risk before deciding to stay.

Will the refusal affect future visitor visas?

It can. A future officer will see it, so the next application should address the reasons.

Do I need a visitor record to stay up to six months?

No. You need one only to stay beyond the date on your passport stamp or, if none, beyond six months from entry.

Related guides

See our guides on restoration and being out of status, a refused super visa, visitor visa refusals, a US trip on maintained status or a visitor record, a visitor reported for working and a visitor visa that shows the old expiry date.

What should I do right now?

Write down the date of the refusal. Count 15 days for the court and 90 days for restoration. Don’t start any work or study, and decide your next step this week.

Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.

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Sources (official)

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 182 (current to October 19, 2026) and s. 183
• IRCC: Extend your stay: after you apply (modified January 27, 2026)
• IRCC: Fee list (modified September 21, 2026)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 72

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.