eTA Canada Visa Expiry – What Happens if You Overstay in Canada

Updated on Apr 30, 2024 | Canada Visa Online

Foreign visitors can take action to stay in the country lawfully before their visa or eTA expires. If they discover too late that their Canadian visa expired, there are also ways to minimize the effects of overstaying.

A visa or entry permit should never be overstayed. Overstaying one's visa and violating Canadian immigration laws are synonymous.

Travel arrangements might alter at the last minute, and it makes sense that some visitors would need or desire to stay in Canada after their Canadian visa expired.

Foreign visitors can take action to stay in the country lawfully before their visa or eTA expires. If they discover too late that their Canadian visa expired, there are also ways to minimize the effects of overstaying.

Visiting Canada is simpler than ever since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced the simplified and streamlined process of obtaining electronic travel authorisation or Online Canada Visa. Online Canada Visa is an travel permit or electronic travel authorization to enter and visit Canada for a period of less than 6 months for tourism or business. International tourists must have a Canada eTA to be able to enter Canada and explore this beautiful country. Foreign citizens can apply for an Online Canada Visa Application in a matter of minutes. Online Canada Visa Application process is automated, simple, and completely online.

How Long Can I Stay in Canada With A Tourist Visa?

Many foreign visitors are permitted to stay in Canada for up to 6 months without a visa. Before leaving, individuals must apply for a Canada eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) or Online Canada Visa.

There are more than 50 nations whose citizens do not require a visa to visit Canada.

All foreign nationals wishing to enter Canada who are not eligible for the Canadian eTA must obtain a visa.

The eTA or Online Canada Visa is a multiple-entry authorization, which allows its holders to repeatedly enter Canada without a typical visa for subsequent six (6) month periods if their Canada eTA is still in effect (normally, 5 years).

How Do I Stay in Canada for More Than Six (6) Months?

  • eTA entries typically last for six (6) months. But if a visitor anticipates needing to stay longer, they can let the Canadian border guards know when they arrive and ask if they might give them a longer eTA permission.
  • If the Canadian government allows the visitor to stay longer, they will stamp the visitor's passport with the departure date.
  • It is occasionally hard to anticipate the requirement to stay in the nation for a period more than 6 months or when the eTA has expired.
  • The eTA authorization can be renewed in a few situations to prevent overstaying in Canada or risking staying after their Canadian visa expired. It is suggested to submit your application for an extension at least 30 days before the eTA is set to expire.

Apply for an Online Canada Visa.

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Online Canada Visa, or Canada eTA, is a mandatory travel documents for citizens of visa-exempt countries. If you are a citizen of a Canada eTA eligible country, or if you are a legal resident of the United States, you will need eTA Canada Visa for layover or transit, or for tourism and sightseeing, or for business purposes, or for medical treatment. Learn more at Online Canada Visa Application Process.

Do I Get Some Time to Renew Once My Canadian Visa Expires?

  • Foreign nationals who cannot enter Canada without a visa via an eTA must apply for the appropriate Canada visa category that best fits their needs. They must receive the visa before traveling to Canada.
  • A single entry lasting up to 6 months is often permitted by visitor visas. A Canadian immigration officer may stamp the traveler's passport at the border; however, this is not permitted for ordinary visiting visas that are valid for only six (6) months. Passengers should indicate if they want their passports stamped.
  • It is possible to extend a visitor visa; to do so, the foreign national must get in touch with the Canadian immigration officials at least 30 days before the visa expires.
  • The precise sort of permission will determine if other visas can be renewed. For additional information, get in touch with the immigration division.
  • When a request for a Canada Visa extension is approved, the applicant receives a visitor record.
  • The visitor record, which certifies the foreigner's visitor status and permits them to remain longer than their original visa, is not a visa.
  • The updated departure date is shown in the visitor record. Please be aware that if a foreign national leaves Canada with a visitor record, they might not be permitted to return until they obtain a new visa or authorization.

What Happens If You Accidentally Overstay Your Tourist Visa?

Overstaying a Canadian visa can have severe repercussions. If visitors have already overstayed a visa, their future applications for Canadian visas may even be rejected.

It is strongly advised to act before the Canada visa expires.

Visitors who unintentionally overstay their visa in Canada are urged to get in touch with the local immigration officials as soon as they become aware of it.

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Before applying for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) you must make sure to have a valid passport from a visa-exempt country, an email address that is valid and working and credit/debit card for online payment. Learn more at Canada Visa Eligibility and Requirements.

Can I Enter Canada Again If I Overstayed My Visa?

  • If a visitor merely leaves Canada after overstaying their visa, they might be marked in the Canadian immigration system as unlikely to follow future visa restrictions and requirements.
  • It might put their future visa applications in danger. As there are no exit controls in Canada, travelers are typically not scrutinized when leaving. Overstayers might not be aware that they have been identified as a result.

How Do I Prolong or Renew My eTA For Canada?

To enter Canada, you must have an eTA Canada or Online Canada Visa, also referred to as a Canadian electronic travel authorization. Except for holders of US passports, all visa-exempt citizens must have a Canadian eTA.

The Canadian eTA is valid for five (5) years in total, beginning on the date of approval or, if the passport expires first, the date of approval.

When the time comes, eligible nationals with an authorized online visa waiver for Canada frequently question whether their eTA Canada may be renewed or extended and how to proceed.

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Can You Renew an eTA Canada Visa?

For one of the following reasons, foreign nationals from recognized nations could choose to renew their Canadian eTA:

  • Canadian Visa expired: The eTA Canada was approved more than five (5) years after it was issued.
  • Passport expiration: Although the foreign national's passport has already expired or is due to do so within the next five years, the eTA Canada is still valid.
  • Renounced citizenship: The foreign national has given up the citizenship for which the eTA Canada was initially issued and is now in possession of a new passport from a different nation.

In each of the preceding circumstances, a somewhat different method is advised for eligible foreign passport holders to regain entrance into Canada.

Passport Valid While Canada Visa Expires -

  • The traveler may attach their valid passport to a fresh eTA application if their passport is still valid at the time of application.
  • The eTA Canada, on the other hand, is digitally connected to a citizen's passport.
  • Before requesting an eTA Canada extension, the person is suggested to renew their passport first if their passport still has a large amount of validity left in it. You must apply for a new eTA Canada after your new, valid passport has been granted.

Passport Expired but Canada eTA Is Still Valid -

  • Citizens whose passports have expired during the 5-year term for which eTA Canada was first approved must apply for new passports first if they are still within that window.
  • People whose passports are set to expire before the eTA Canada's five (5) year validity period may want to renew them early.
  • You don't have to wait till your current passport expires. However, given how time-consuming the passport issue procedure is in most countries, it is advised to submit a new passport request to your country's authorities a few months before the current passport expires.

Canceled Passport Linked to Canada eTA Due To The Renunciation Of Citizenship -

  • People who have recently received a new nationality and are traveling on a different passport than they had when they first applied for an eTA must file a new application for a Canadian eTA.
  • The old passport linked to their eTA Canada would no longer be valid if the foreign national had to abandon their nationality in favor of their new citizenship.
  • If the passport from the citizen's previous nationality has expired, a new authorization should be obtained by submitting the current passport. In this case, passport holders are recommended to consult the Canadian eTA eligible citizens list to determine their new nationality.

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Can I Renew My eTA From Canada Prior To Its Expiration?

Even if it or the passport haven't yet expired, visitors are not now permitted to extend an eTA Canada by Canadian border authorities.

A fresh application must be made if a traveler wants to extend their Canada eTA before it expires.

How Do I Reapply for My eTA Online?

Foreign passengers will now need to submit a fresh application for a Canadian electronic travel authorization to renew their eTAs.

Fortunately, the online process is simple and quick. The eTA application is typically approved in less than 24 hours and just takes a few minutes at most.

How Much Does a Canadian eTA Renewal Cost?

The price of renewing your ETA Canada is the same as the price of applying for an eTA for the first time.

This is since a Canada eTA extension is not available.

Travelers must reapply to renew their eTA if their travel authorization expires.

Steps To Take to Avoid Reapplying For eTA Canada

Since the Canadian eTA is authorized for a full five (5) years, qualified persons applying online are recommended to produce a passport that still has five years left on it before it expires.

Even though it's not a formal necessity, doing so will help Canadians who have been issued an eTA Canada make the most of it for the entire 5-year duration. If the qualified citizen's passport expires during the eTA's validity period, this will guarantee that they won't lose their Canadian eTA.


Check your eligibility for Online Canada Visa and apply for eTA Canada Visa 3 days in advance of your flight. British citizens, Italian citizens, Spanish citizens, French citizens, Israeli citizens, South Korean citizens, Portuguese citizens, and Chilean citizens can apply online for eTA Canada Visa. Should you need any help or require any clarifications you should contact our helpdesk for support and guidance.