Extending visitor status

[barineon]

I'm a UK citizen and currently in the pool for IEC applications, but it's looking unlikely that I'll get picked anytime soon, if at all, so in the meantime I was thinking of entering Canada as a visitor.

Regardless of which visa I have, I'll be remote working for a non-Canadian company and have sufficient savings to support myself otherwise, so eligibility to work isn't actually a concern either way.

But getting to the point, if I were to enter Canada as a visitor and then apply to extend my visitor status, would I need a good reason to extend it, or would saying that I simply want to stay in the country longer be enough?

Thanks in advance!

 

[scylla]

I'm a UK citizen and currently in the pool for IEC applications, but it's looking unlikely that I'll get picked anytime soon, if at all, so in the meantime I was thinking of entering Canada as a visitor.

Regardless of which visa I have, I'll be remote working for a non-Canadian company and have sufficient savings to support myself otherwise, so eligibility to work isn't actually a concern either way.

But getting to the point, if I were to enter Canada as a visitor and then apply to extend my visitor status, would I need a good reason to extend it, or would saying that I simply want to stay in the country longer be enough?

Thanks in advance!

You generally need a reason to extend and it can't look like you're trying to live in Canada without proper authorization.

Make sure the company you are working for has no Canadian customers / clients.

 

[canuck78]

What is your longterm goal since you seem determined to live in Canada? Are you in a relationship with someone living in Canada? Something like establishing common law would be one of the reasons you may be able to extend.

 

[barineon]

What is your longterm goal since you seem determined to live in Canada? Are you in a relationship with someone living in Canada? Something like establishing common law would be one of the reasons you may be able to extend.

At the moment I'm just trying to find a way I could stay in Canada as a visitor until I get the IEC visa, if that's possible.

I'm not in a relationship to a Canadian citizen.
What other reasons might they accept for extending a visitor visa?

 

[scylla]

At the moment I'm just trying to find a way I could stay in Canada as a visitor until I get the IEC visa, if that's possible.

I'm not in a relationship to a Canadian citizen.
What other reasons might they accept for extending a visitor visa?

We can't give you a canned answer that we know is guaranteed to work for an extension. The best policy is to be as honest as possible - however it can't look like you're trying to live here. I guess you'll have to sort this out once you are here.

Also, make sure you have a "plan B" in the event you aren't selected for an IEC. Unfortunately that program is always way oversubscribed.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Eventually if you “ extend “ too many times , eventually they’ll tell you to go home

 

[Bs65]

Just to add that whilst odds might be positive to get an initial 6 month stay there is no guarantee especially if you are less than convincing about being a genuine visitor/ tourist which seems you may have a challenge to demonstrate to CBSA on entry. This especially if you arrive and state upfront you want an extended stay then you should expect to be questioned on funding and itinerary as a tourist Plus a return ticket

 

[barineon]

Just to add that whilst odds might be positive to get an initial 6 month stay there is no guarantee especially if you are less than convincing about being a genuine visitor/ tourist which seems you may have a challenge to demonstrate to CBSA on entry. This especially if you arrive and state upfront you want an extended stay then you should expect to be questioned on funding and itinerary as a tourist Plus a return ticket

Wasn't planning on doing this. The extension would just be a last resort, and couldn't see myself trying to extend more than once.

Found some info on one of the government's sites that seemed to suggest tourism is a valid reason to extend, but definitely sounds like I should have a plan B.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

 

[Mann157]

Wasn't planning on doing this. The extension would just be a last resort, and couldn't see myself trying to extend more than once.

Found some info on one of the government's sites that seemed to suggest tourism is a valid reason to extend, but definitely sounds like I should have a plan B.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Did you file the extension? Do you know the current processing time for visitor extensions?