Your visitor visa shows the old expiry date: what it means for your stay, and how to travel and come back

By Pardeep S. Grewal, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 11, 2026

Published November 11, 2026

Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 11, 2026: IRCC’s instructions on visa validity (modified June 5, 2026) and on visas versus status, IRCC’s page on applying for a visitor visa from inside Canada (modified August 17, 2026) and section 190 of the Regulations checked that day.

A visitor visa (temporary resident visa) is a travel document. IRCC’s own instructions say a visa does not “grant temporary resident status in Canada,” and “The expiry date of a TRV is the date by which the visa must be used to arrive at the port of entry.” So if your visa expires on your old permit’s date, or before IRCC decides your extension, you do not have to leave Canada because of it. Your right to stay comes from your work permit, study permit or visitor record, and from maintained status if you applied to extend in time. The visa only matters when you leave and want to come back.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, advises on visas, permits and travel during pending applications; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.

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Why does my visa have that date?

• The maximum: a multiple-entry visa can be valid for up to 10 years, but not past the expiry of your passport or biometrics, whichever comes first.
• Officer discretion: officers “may decide to issue the visa with a validity period shorter than the maximum,” and decide whether to issue a single- or multiple-entry visa.
• A new permit does not extend the visa. “A work permit or study permit is not a visa.” If your visa was matched to your old permit, it stays that way.

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• checking your status in Canada separately from your visa;
• a new visitor visa application from inside Canada when you qualify;
• planning travel around a pending extension;
• advice if you were refused entry or a new visa.

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. Stay put if you have no travel plans. An expired visa does not affect your stay.
2. Apply for a new visa from inside Canada once you hold a valid work or study permit and your visa has expired, is about to, or was single-entry. IRCC says to apply online and “at least 2 months before you plan to leave.”
3. If your extension is still pending, wait for IRCC to approve it. “As soon as we approve your application to extend your work or study permit, you can apply for your visitor visa,” even before the paper permit arrives, with proof of the approval such as a screenshot of the approval message in your online account. If your permit has expired and the extension is still pending, maintained status alone does not meet IRCC’s valid-permit requirement for applying from inside Canada.
4. A trip only to the US: some people can return without a new visa if they come back within their authorized stay (IRPR s.190(3)(f)). See our guide on a US trip during a pending extension before you go.

Visitor visa dates at a glance

Worked example: the holiday flight

Example. A student in Vancouver had her study permit extended to 2028, but her visitor visa expired with her old permit. She wants to fly home for a family wedding. On Tuesday, December 22, 2026, more than two months before her flight, she applies online for a new visitor visa from inside Canada with her new study permit, and she waits for the visa before she books a non-refundable return.

Mistakes I have seen

• I have seen people leave Canada because they thought an expired visa meant their status had ended.
• I have seen people fly out with an expired visa and get stuck abroad waiting for a new one.
• I have seen people assume a new permit came with a new visa.

Frequently asked questions

I’m visa-exempt. Does this apply to me?

No. Visa-exempt travellers need an eTA to fly to Canada, not a visitor visa.

Can I apply for the visa abroad instead?

You can, but you may wait outside Canada for the decision. Applying from inside Canada before you leave is safer.

Related guides

See our guides on a US trip on maintained status or a visitor record, a work permit cut short to your passport expiry and a visa or permit cancelled by IRCC.

What should I do right now?

Check the expiry dates on your visa, permit and passport separately. If you plan to travel, apply for a new visa at least two months ahead. Get advice if your extension is still pending.

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

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Sources (official)

• IRCC: Temporary resident visa versus temporary resident status
• IRCC: Issuing a visa (modified June 5, 2026)
• IRCC: Visitor visas for workers and students, how to apply from inside Canada (modified August 17, 2026)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 190 (current to October 19, 2026)

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