mich1s

my one year unextendable visa is expiring at the end of this march. i actually went out of canada at christmas to go home and came back on jan. 12th but they only stamped it until end of march again. it was my understanding that i'm allowed to stay here for 6 months without needing a visa. obviously, i realise i'm kinda bending rules. so - all that aside. i wanted to ask if anyone knows what actually HAPPENS if for example..i go back to london mid april for a week or so. come back here and then end of may - go to switzerland for a couple of weeks and then come back here. would that cause a lot of problems? my reasons and intentions for coming into canada are for holiday. i have a lot of friends who could back this up. what if i were to leave in end of may to go to swizerland and then come back 2 weeks later. would i encounter problems LEAVING the country? would they automatically deny me re-entry 2 weeks later? i realise these aren't questions that anyone can give me an actual ANSWER to - was more just curious as to people's experiences when they may have overextended their holiday but neglected the paperwork. what the actual possible consequences could be.

many thanks again,

michael

ozinca

So, if I understand correctly, your one year work visa expires at the end of March, but you don't want to leave Canada until mid April?

If this is the case, then you need to apply to change the condition of your stay to visitor. You really should have done this at least 30 days before your work visa expires. It cost $75.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/visitor.html

In regards to your other questions about re-entering Canada and then leaving again, it is absolutely fine as long as you do not re-enter Canada on a one way ticket. Buy a return ticket from London or Switzerland and this will help prove to the Passport Control Officer that you intend to leave Canada on the date of your return ticket. Depending on your passport, you are allowed up to 6 months as a visitor. Be sure to be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to sustain yourself as a visitor, particularly if you intend returning to Canada for a few months.

Being honest to Immigration Officers is very important. Don't overstay your current work visa without applying to change the condition of your stay to 'visitor'. If you do this, then you may have trouble re-entering Canada as a visitor later on.

Best wishes,
Ozinca

mich1s

Ozinca - thank you so much for your reply. I just wanted to clarify a couple of things if that's ok. My one year visa is actually a special program that is non-extendable and does NOT permit re-entry to Canada. I just realised now that visa is due to expire on the end of march - which is in a few days time. It was honest oversight on my part. Do I absolutely HAVE to leave before the end of March? The way I understood it was that when I came back in, even though the year's visa was still valid for a few months - it doesn't really count on re-entry and I've got to be readmitted all over again.

The nature of my work ( as a musician who earns his money in London ) is such that I usually get larger sums but less frequently than a monthly salary. I can afford to stay and holiday here until I get my next payment , which is due in a month or so. I was intending to bring that cheque back and pay it into my Canadian bank account and continue holidaying here for a while.

And while this may sound like a risky question.. are you actually aware of what happens when you LEAVE Canada and they check your passport and see that you should have been out a month or 2 earlier. Would that really damage my chances of coming back in a few weeks or so?

I'm just trying to understand...why they are so difficult about someone wanting to have what is technically a long holiday here, who isn't sponging off the system and if anything is only bringing money INTO the country.

Is "exploring Canada and spending time with various friends ( of which I have quite a few here ) and just basically vacationing for such a long period of time" such a great threat? This is the truth of the nature of my stay here. In short, it's cheaper to holiday here and pay for hotels, stay in B&B's and stuff than it is to actually LIVE in London and pay the extortionate fees. Maybe this is a grey area and depending on the mood of the officer, he just might not be interested in exploring how honest I'm being.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm rambling but again I thank you in advance for any help you may offer.

Michael

Biiiiink

You said in this thread you were a writer? http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=292148

I think you started so many threads tonight you're confusing more than just us lot!!

Biiiiink

mich1s

yes - a songwriter - sorry
musician writer

mich1s

i apologise for the chaotic nature of my threads - i just realised today looking at my passport that my visa ENDS on the 31march. which is in a few days. we have good friday. buying a ticket to london is going to be a MAJOR hassle at the moment, much more than staying here. obviously i know that they insist that you apply for extensions 30 days in advance. but if my one year work authorisation 1. is non-extendable and 2. doesn't allow re-entry to canada - then how did i come back in when i returned at christmas? and further to that - what are the conditions of that last entry to canada. i was under the assumption that i can stay for 6 months without needing a visa.

yours panicking!

and thanks all

michael

ozinca

You know, I'm not really sure what to advise you in addition to what I wrote earlier. I really don't have the knowledge of the 'special program' that you mention. I really think you should call the CIC call centre to check the conditions of your stay. They will ask you for your file number (on your visa) and they will be able to tell you for sure.

Best to get info. on your status from CIC directly. 1 888 242-2100 and follow the prompts.

Ozinca

mich1s

thank you ozinca,

i've called that number yet it appears that i'm just met with an endless succession of prerecorded lines. i'll try again just in case i was being dense.

michael

ozinca

I think from memory, in order to speak to an actual person, you need to press 1 then 0 then 2. I could be wrong though. Give it a go.

Ozinca

mich1s

thank you

mich1s

Ozinka and Biiink, I would like to extend a very grateful thank you for taking the time to help me in this situation. Ozinka, your number DID work and I did manage to get through to an officer who was actually very helpful.

I'm not sure whether this is useful for other people but I might as well post this info up here just so if there's anyone else needing it, it's easy to find.

Firstly, Ozinka's number sequence DOES work and does bring you to an agent - which I have to say without that I would have been trawling around the site pressing all sorts of numbers, they don't make it easy to speak to an agent.


pretty much all ozinca's info is spot on - yet it now is just much clearer now i've calmed down.

though my visa IS expiring - i can stay slightly longer in a special state - something about a visitor's record. this is while my extension is being processed. also - even though my visa says that i can not re-enter canada and the visa is non-extendable. the lady informed me that i can actually reapply for extension since everytime i come back into canada - it's a fresh reentry. i'm sure 99 percent of everyone else on here knows all this.

it was also heartening to hear the lady say that basically, i can pretty much indefinitely extend my 6 month visas - there is no actual LIMIT as to how many times i can come back in. even in the course of a year. be it 2 or 10 times. it all boils down to the guy at the airport. if one can demonstrate that you have the funds to support yourself for the length of time u want to stay, and pretty much come across as an honest person who's not trying to scam his way into illegal work, and they BELIEVE that - then it's not unheard of for people to just keep re-extending the visa. i guess u just gotta make sure ur stories honest and true and not get caught in any lies.

i don't know if other potential self employed applicants are aware - since i certainly wasn't - but apparently those applications are prioritised for some reason so while i've read of horror stories of people having to wait up to 4 years for their applications to be processed, it appears that self employed applicants do hold that advantage.

anyway, i'm off to get pizza now my appetite's returned and once again thanks all, you really helped me out.

best,

michael