#141 - A New Problem with Visitor Records and Leaving Canada

Borderlines

On this episode, Steve and Deanna discuss the effect of cross-border travel on the validity of a visitor record. The question is: do they become invalidated by travel outside Canada? The topic was raised by Tamara Mosher Kuczer in episode 140, in which she reported an uptick in visitor record extension refusals due to prior invalidation of the original visitor record.

After that episode several listeners asked us to expand on the topic.

The scenario, and what is occuring, is this.

A family enters Canada, with the parents receiving three-year work permits and the children granted three-year visitor records.

After one year, the family travels abroad for a month. Upon their return, the Canada Border Services Agency stamps the children's passports but does not issue new visitor records or indicate an extended stay.

Before the parents' work permits and the children's visitor records expire, the family applies to extend their status.

IRCC approves the parents' work permit extensions but informs the family that the children's visitor records were automatically canceled when they left Canada. IRCC explains that upon re-entry, the children were only granted a six-month stay because CBSA did not issue new visitor records or mark an extended date in their passports.

While the parents' new work permits are approved, the children are ordered to leave Canada.

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