Restoration of Status in Canada: The 90-Day Period
Last checked against official sources: October 13, 2026
Restoration deadline check
Rule: you generally have 90 days after losing temporary resident status to apply for restoration (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 182).
Send your dates through the inquiry form if you need a lawyer to check restoration timing.
Restoration of Status in Canada: The 90-Day Period
If you lose temporary resident status in Canada, IRCC's restore pages say you may apply to restore it within 90 days of losing that status. IRCC does not publish a separate standalone "restoration processing time" category on its public processing-times tool text; plan using the paired work, study, or visitor rules and the 90-day filing clock.
The 90-day rule
On Restore your status and get a work permit, IRCC states you must apply within 90 days of losing status. Online applications must be submitted before midnight UTC on day 90. For paper filings received after day 90, IRCC describes counting back 7 days as the received date.
You may stay in Canada while waiting for a decision on restoration in the situations IRCC describes on that page. You normally cannot work until status is restored and a new work permit is issued, when that is what you applied for.
Restoration is not guaranteed.
Fees IRCC lists
From the IRCC fee list (checked October 13, 2026):
| Restore path | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Restore as visitor | 246.25 |
| Restore as student (restore + study permit) | 396.25 |
| Restore as worker (restore + work permit) | 401.25 |
Processing time
This site's processing times tracker records IRCC times for related permits. A dedicated restoration-only timeline was not published as its own line on the processing-times tool page text when checked October 13, 2026. Use the tool for the permit type you are restoring into, and treat restoration approval as a separate legal step.
Maintained status is different
If you applied to extend before your permit expired, you may have maintained status while that extension is processed. That is not restoration. Restoration starts after status is already lost.
Out of status inside the 90-day window, or unsure whether you still have maintained status? Send us your permit expiry date and what you filed, if anything. A licensed immigration lawyer can tell you which clock you are on.
Sources
Related: Restoration of Status
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