1. Home
2. Articles
3. Exceptional cases of extending Canadian immigrant visas

Exceptional cases of extending Canadian immigrant visas

There have been cases when holders of Permanent Resident (PR) visas could not make it into Canada by the time their visa expires. When this happens, residents are stopped at the border and are denied the chance to apply for permanent residency.

Certain circumstances – deemed “exceptional” – may allow PR visa holders to petition for a renewal of their visa. In order to file for renewal, the applicant will have to undergo all assessments and check-ups associated with the initial visa application without actually starting their immigration case from scratch.

This may prove especially useful in cases when the applicant’s age group or status would factor into the way their application is handled. Children, for example, only qualify to be included in their parent’s application if they are under 22 years old. If the 22-year-old dependent is granted a PR visa and that visa runs out, the dependent – now over 22 – will be subject to an entirely different set of requirements if they begin the immigration process anew.

Filing for a new PR visa is possible if the visa holder’s failure to fulfill their obligations was due to reasons beyond their control.

Two main reasons for renewal include:

• Applying for renewal within less than two months of the visa’s expiration date.
• Failure to come to Canada due to reasons beyond the applicant’s control (these include the death of a family member, a sudden illness or disability, and other major unexpected life events).

If your case has similar circumstances, you have to option to petition to the Canadian immigration authorities and ask to have a new PR visa issued. Contact our team to receive help or legal support with your case.