Restoration of status lets some temporary residents who lost status in Canada fix the problem within a strict window—usually 90 days—by paying the right fees and reapplying for the status/permit they need. The biggest trap: once you’re out of status, you generally can’t work or study until IRCC restores it. This guide covers deadlines, current fees, and the “don’ts” that can worsen your case.

Restoration of status Canada: what it is (and when you actually need it)

“Restoration” is the process that may allow a visitor, worker, or student who lost temporary resident status to ask IRCC to restore that status, usually if the application is made within 90 days and the person still meets the initial requirements and has not broken other conditions.

What counts as “losing status”

You typically lose status if your visitor record, study permit, or work permit expires and you did not apply to extend/change it before expiry, or if you failed to comply with conditions on your permit. For workers, IRCC’s in-Canada work permit guide notes you can lose temporary resident status and authorization to work if your status expired, you did not comply with conditions, or you worked/studied without the required permit.

Restoration vs maintained status (don’t confuse these)

If you apply to extend or change your permit before it expires, you may be allowed to stay in Canada while IRCC processes the application—this is “maintained status.” In some cases, you may also be authorized to keep working under the conditions of your original work permit, but only if you applied for another work permit before expiry and follow IRCC’s rules.

If you apply after expiry, you are no longer on maintained status—you’re asking for restoration. In that situation, the default assumption should be: you must stop working or studying until restoration is approved and you have the new permit in hand.

Related read: Maintained status vs restoration: quick decision guide.

Deadlines: the 90-day restoration clock (and how IRCC counts it)

The core rule: apply within 90 days

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations set the foundation: restoration is based on an application made within 90 days after losing temporary resident status, and approval depends on meeting the initial requirements and not failing other conditions.

IRCC’s guides repeat the same practical consequence: if your temporary resident status expired and you want to stay in Canada, you may apply for restoration within 90 days—or you must leave Canada.

Online submissions: midnight UTC can make you “late” by accident

IRCC states that if you apply online, you must submit your restoration application before midnight UTC no more than 90 days after your status/permit expired. This is easy to miscalculate if you’re in Canada and assume local time.

If it’s been more than 90 days

For most people, IRCC’s work-restoration page is blunt: if you lost status more than 90 days ago and have not applied to restore it, you’ll need to leave Canada and reapply from outside Canada if you want to work in Canada again.

There are limited program-specific exceptions (for example, certain foreign workers with a provincial/territorial support letter under a participating pathway). These policies can change, so treat them as specialized scenarios and verify on official pages before relying on them.

Fees: what restoration costs (and what you must pay together)

IRCC updates fees periodically. On December 1, 2025, restoration-related fees increased (so always cross-check the official fee list right before you submit).

Fee mistakes that cause delays

IRCC’s work-restoration instructions warn that online systems may not always prompt for every fee in certain combined scenarios and that paying the right fees helps avoid processing delays.

Safest habit: verify your exact fee stack on IRCC’s official fee list the day you submit.

What you can’t do while restoring status

You generally can’t work or study until IRCC restores you

IRCC’s extension/restoration guide (Guide 5551) states plainly: you may not study or work in Canada until your restoration application has been processed.

IRCC also says that once you lose student status, you can’t study until it’s restored—and if you apply after your study permit expires, you can stay in Canada but you can’t study until status is restored and a new study permit is issued.

For workers, IRCC similarly notes you may stay in Canada while a restoration/work permit decision is made, but normally you aren’t allowed to work until your status is restored and your new work permit is issued.

You can’t “fix it later” by continuing anyway

IRCC’s in-Canada work permit guide stresses that it is illegal to remain in Canada beyond the validity of your status, illegal to work without the required work permit, and illegal to study without the required study permit.

Travel and re-entry can get complicated

Even with an in-Canada application in process, re-entry is never guaranteed; the final decision is made by the officer at the port of entry. IRCC’s in-Canada worker guide explains that if you travel while a work permit extension is in process, you may be allowed to return as a visitor—and if so, you can’t work until you receive the new work permit.

If your file involves restoration (meaning you were already out of status), travel risk is typically higher. Get case-specific advice before you leave Canada mid-process. See Travel while an IRCC application is processing: what can go wrong.

Step-by-step: how to apply for restoration (visitor, student, worker)

Step 1: Confirm whether you’re actually out of status

Start by checking your permit expiry date and whether you submitted an extension/change application before expiry (maintained status) or after expiry (restoration). IRCC’s Help Centre confirms maintained status applies when you applied for a new work permit before your old one expired, allowing you to stay until a decision (and sometimes keep working under strict conditions).

Step 2: Identify what you want to restore to (and whether you still qualify)

IRCC’s rules and the regulations focus on whether you still meet the initial requirements for your stay and have not failed other conditions.

• Visitors: restoration is possible in some cases if it’s been less than 90 days since visitor status expired.
• Students: if your study permit expired before you applied, you lose student status and can’t study until restored; restoration generally involves applying for a new study permit at the same time.
• Workers: restoration typically involves applying to restore status and authorization to work, and then having a new work permit issued if approved.

Step 3: Use the right form pathway and select the “restore” option

IRCC repeatedly flags the same operational detail: you must explicitly select the restoration option in the application.

• Visitor restoration: IRCC instructs applicants using IMM 5708 to select “Restore my status as a visitor” and provide details of the situation and why they stayed longer than allowed.
• Student restoration: IRCC instructs you to select “Restore my status” on the form and include a note explaining why you need to extend your stay, along with the restoration fee.
• Worker restoration: IRCC instructs work permit applicants to select “Restore my status as a worker” and upload a separate explanation (often in “Client information”).

Step 4: Write a clear restoration explanation letter (this matters)

IRCC’s guidance expects “full details” explaining what led to the loss of status and why. Think of your letter as a short, factual timeline with accountability:

• Exact date status expired (or condition was breached).
• What happened (missed deadline, misunderstanding, medical issue, school issue, employer change, etc.).
• What you did immediately after realizing the mistake (stopped work/study, gathered documents, filed promptly).
• Why you still meet the requirements for the status you’re requesting (finances, enrollment/LOA, job offer/eligibility, etc.).

Step 5: Build your “restoration document pack” (typical checklist)

IRCC will give you a document checklist in your online submission flow, but most restoration files need the same core evidence:

• Identity: passport bio page and any relevant stamps/permits.
• Status history: copies of your expired permit(s) and any prior IRCC correspondence.
• Proof you still qualify:
  • Visitors: proof of funds, ties, purpose of stay.
  • Students: proof of enrollment/acceptance, financial support, DLI-related evidence.
  • Workers: eligibility documents for the requested work permit type (varies by category), and anything needed from the employer where applicable.
• Restoration explanation letter (timeline + supporting documents).
• Fee receipt(s) showing the correct fees were paid.

Related read: Best supporting documents for temporary resident extensions (by category).

Step 6: Submit and follow the “don’t work/don’t study” rule until approval

IRCC is clear across guides: you may be allowed to stay while they process, but you generally can’t study or work until your restoration is processed and the new permit is issued.

Special scenario: restoring status for a PGWP application

If you’re trying to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) but your study permit expired, IRCC states you may be able to restore your status as a student and apply for a PGWP if eligible—but you can’t work until the work permit is approved. IRCC also notes that if you don’t apply within 90 days, you must leave Canada.

Related read: PGWP after expiry: restoration strategy and common pitfalls.

Family members: each person’s status is separate

Restoration applies to each family member who lost status; IRCC states each family member must apply separately and pay the restoration fee for their own application.

Who is not eligible (common exclusions)

Temporary resident permit (TRP) holders

IRCC states TRP applicants do not benefit from maintained status, and IRCC’s restoration pages also specify that TRP holders are not eligible to restore status.

If you’re outside the 90-day window (for most people)

If more than 90 days have passed since you lost status and you haven’t applied to restore it, IRCC instructs that you must leave Canada and reapply from outside Canada (with limited program-specific exceptions).

CTA: want a restoration file review before you submit?

Restoration cases are unforgiving on timing and compliance. If you’re close to the 90-day deadline, unsure whether you were on maintained status, or worried your work/study activities could complicate eligibility, we can review your timeline, fee stack, and document pack before you file. Book a consultation.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.

Official references: IRCC: Restore your status (worker), IRCC: What to do if your study permit expires, IRCC: Fee list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), official government publications