Canada Introduces New Rules for Foreign Students and Workers Seeking Status Restoration

Canada has changed its rules on restoring temporary resident status, allowing foreign students and workers to regain their legal status without automatically restoring their work or study permits at the same time.

Under the new rules, foreign nationals who lose their temporary resident status have 90 days to apply for restoration. Applicants may restore their status as visitors if they no longer qualify for, or do not require, a work or study permit. Those who want to continue working or studying must submit separate applications for those permits and pay the relevant fees.

The revised policy does not apply to people holding temporary resident permits (TRPs) whose permits have expired. Instead, they must apply for a new TRP, as restoration is not available for that category.

A TRP gives temporary resident status for a limited period and may be cancelled at any time. People with TRPs valid for at least six months can apply for work or study permits while in Canada. However, once the permit expires, they cannot restore their status through the standard restoration process.

Applicants seeking restoration must already be in Canada and must not hold valid status when they apply. They are not allowed to work or study until their restoration application has been approved and any new permits have been issued.

International students may apply to restore both their temporary resident status and their study authorisation. They may also apply for a work permit if required. Foreign workers can restore their status and work authorisation and may also apply for study permits. Separate fees apply for each application.

Processing times for restoration applications are currently about five months.

The changes separate the restoration of temporary resident status from applications for work and study authorisation. The government said the revised process is intended to provide greater flexibility for foreign nationals while maintaining existing immigration controls.

The updated rules may help international students and workers remain in Canada legally if they temporarily lose their status. However, applicants may still face high costs because of the separate application fees and lengthy processing times.