Program delivery update: Place of application, temporary residence programs
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Foreign nationals who are in Canada as temporary residents and are seeking to extend their temporary resident status must apply by electronic means only, unless otherwise specified. This regulatory amendment prescribes that most temporary residence applications made from within Canada be made via an electronic application, specifically all of the following:
- applications for extensions of temporary resident status made from within Canada
- applications for study or work permits made from within Canada
- applications for renewals of study or work permits made from within Canada
Subject to the exceptions in cases of disability or where systems are unavailable or unreliable due to natural disasters or system issues or outages, the proposed amendments would require that applications be made online. In addition, the department would continue to receive paper applications from clients who are unable to apply through the Come to Canada tool.
Clients who apply electronically would still be subject to all other eligibility and admissibility requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
Updated instructions
Note: In addition to this updated page, the following message has been placed on several visitor record, study permit and work permit program delivery instructions (PDIs):
All in-Canada visitor record, study permit and work permit applications must be submitted electronically, with some exemptions. See the list of programs that are exempt from the mandatory electronic application requirement.