Student Visa Extension (TRV)

WHO NEEDS A TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA (TRV)?

The temporary resident visa (TRV) is a document that allows an alien to proceed to an entry point of the territory to enter Canada.

All foreign nationals who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada require a visa to enter Canada unless they have a visa exemption*. A permit is therefore different from a visa. A visa allows you to enter Canada, but it is the study permit that authorizes you to remain and study in Canada. You do not need to renew your TRV if you do not leave Canada and do not plan to travel to another country.

WHEN SHOULD I RENEW MY TRV?

You should renew your TRV if you plan to cross the Canadian border to enter Canada. You do not need a Canadian visa to exit Canada.

If you hold a multiple-entry TRV, it will be valid for an unlimited number of entries into Canada until it expires. If you hold a single-entry TRV, it is valid only once. Check in your passport for the TRV type that you hold and if it is still valid. The validity period of a TRV should normally not exceed that of your passport or your study permit.

To renew your TRV, you will need a study permit that is valid for a minimum of 6 months on the day you submit your TRV renewal application. You must therefore renew your documents in the following order, for each of the expiring documents: 1. Passport 2. CAQ for studies 3. SP (and associated work permits) 4. TRV.

This process should be started 6 to 7 months before the documents expire.

WHERE DO I SUBMIT MY TRV RENEWAL APPLICATION?

If you are physically in Canada and your passport with your new TRV is to be sent back to a Canadian address, you must send your TRV application to the Case Processing Pilot office in Ottawa (CPP-O) . This application has to be done online through MyCIC. It is also possible to apply on paper.
If you are physically outside of Canada and your passport with the new TRV is to be sent back to you outside of Canada, you must submit your application in person or by mail to the visa application center (VAC) in charge of the country you have been legally admitted to. The VAC will then transfer your application to the appropriate Canadian visa office (CVO) for processing. In most cases, you can also fill out an online TRV application.

We strongly discourage you to leave Canada for holidays abroad without having first renewed your TRV, because you might not be able to come back to Canada in time for the start of classes, should processing times in your CVO be longer than expected, or should visa processing be suspended because of political, social or military crises.

Consequently, in order to be certain to come back on time to Canada to continue your program, you should apply for a TRV renewal in Canada, before leaving.

BIOMETRICS

All Temporary Resident Visa applicants are required to provide their biometrics, unless they have already provided them to IRCC in the last ten years in a prior application (ex: study or work permit, temporary resident visa). Since December 3 2019, this obligation also applies for in-Canada applications.

Biometrics consist of a photograph and fingerprints, which are used by the Canadian government to establish a person’s identity. If you are required to provide them, the fee is $85 CDN (170$ for a family unit); you will need to present yourself at a Service Canada collection center for in-Canada applications, an Application Support Center in the USA, or to a Visa Application Center (VAC) in other countries.

If you have to provide biometrics, you can still complete the online application for your TRV renewal. To proceed with biometric data collection, IRCC will upload an instruction letter on your MyCIC account once they receive your application. Follow the instructions in the letter. Print a copy of the letter and bring it with you, as well as all required documents when you go to the biometrics data collection centre. Note that processing times posted on the IRCC website do not include the time required to travel to the VAC for biometrics collection purpose.

Once collected, biometrics remain valid for ten years.