COW – Management of Expired and Cancelled Visas – May 28, 2026

Consequences for people who do not leave

CBSA removed over 22,500 inadmissible people last year

Launching pilot to better manage, reduce and enforce overstays

• Temporary residents who do not leave Canada once their authorized period of stay ends face consequences, including removal from Canada and restrictions on returning in the future.
• Canada Border Services Agency removed over 22,500 inadmissible people last year—an increase from approximately 16,000 the fiscal year before.
• Under a renewed effort to detect fraud, the total number of applications refused for misrepresentation has increased significantly in the last year.
• We are working with partners to strengthen our visitor screening to ensure we are adapting to modern changes, including global crises that affect migration patterns, increased digital fraud, and organized human smuggling.
• We are launching a pilot to send notifications to a select group of students and workers before and after their status expires. The goal is to help people take action early and reduce overstays before enforcement becomes necessary.