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🏆 Canada Visit Duration Guide

How Long Can I Visit Canada? Visitor Visa Duration & Extensions Explained (2026)

How long you can visit Canada under different visa types — visitor visa, study permit, work permit, and the credential evaluation foundation for longer-term plans.

📅 Updated April 2026🕑 8 min read✅ By FACTS Transcripts Editorial Team

📑 What This Guide Covers

  1. Standard Visitor Visa (TRV) Duration
  2. Study Permit Duration
  3. Work Permit Duration
  4. Permanent Residence — The Long-Term Path
  5. How FACTS Helps With Credential Evaluation for Canada
  6. Frequently Asked Questions

If you're planning to visit Canada — for tourism, family reunion, business meetings, or exploration before considering longer-term stay — you need to understand visa duration and extension rules. This guide covers maximum stay periods for various Canadian visa types, plus how credential evaluation supports transitioning to longer-term opportunities.

📌 Quick answer: Standard visitor visas (TRV) allow up to 6 months per visit. Multiple-entry visitor visas may be valid for up to 10 years but each entry is limited to 6 months. Study permits last the program duration. Work permits 1–4 years. For permanent residence, credential evaluation (WES, IQAS, etc.) is foundational.

Standard Visitor Visa (TRV) Duration

Most Indian visitors to Canada hold a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). Key facts:

  • Duration per visit: Up to 6 months (most common)
  • Validity period: Single-entry or multiple-entry, valid up to 10 years
  • Extensions: Possible from within Canada, up to 6 additional months (must apply 30 days before expiry)
  • Conditions: Cannot work or study (full-time)
  • Re-entry: Each entry is a fresh 6-month period; multiple-entry visa allows multiple visits within validity

If you plan to stay longer than 6 months continuously, you'd need a different visa type.

Study Permit Duration

For longer-term stays for educational purposes:

  • Duration: Length of your study program (typically 2–4 years for Bachelor's, 1–2 for Master's)
  • Plus 90 days after program completion for transition
  • Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP): 8 months to 3 years depending on program length
  • Conditions: Can work part-time during studies, full-time during scheduled breaks

Study permits require: Letter of Acceptance from Designated Learning Institution (DLI), proof of funds, and (in many cases) credential evaluation if your previous degree is from outside Canada.

Work Permit Duration

Various types of work permits, each with different durations:

  • Open Work Permit (e.g., spouse of student/worker, PGWP): Typically 1–3 years
  • Employer-specific Work Permit (LMIA-based): 1–4 years, depending on the offer
  • Intra-Company Transferee: 1–7 years
  • NAFTA/USMCA Professional: 1–3 years (renewable)
  • Working Holiday: 1–2 years (one-time per applicant)

Most work permits require credential evaluation (WES, IQAS, etc.) to confirm your foreign degree's equivalence to Canadian standards.

Permanent Residence — The Long-Term Path

For staying in Canada permanently, you'd pursue Permanent Residence through:

  • Express Entry — federal economic immigration (Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class)
  • Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) — provincial nomination + federal application
  • Family Sponsorship — sponsored by spouse, parent, or other family member
  • Refugee/Humanitarian streams — for those qualifying under specific protection categories

Express Entry and most PNPs require:

  • Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from WES, IQAS, ICES, CES, or ICAS
  • Language test scores (IELTS or CELPIP)
  • Work experience documentation
  • Proof of funds
  • Police clearance certificates
  • Medical examination

How FACTS Helps With Credential Evaluation for Canada

  • ✅ WES, IQAS, ICES, CES applications — all IRCC-designated agencies
  • ✅ End-to-end coordination — from your university to ECA report
  • ✅ 9,000+ Indian universities covered
  • ✅ 16+ years of helping Indians establish in Canada
  • ✅ 99%+ first-time acceptance at Canadian credential agencies

Start your Canada credential evaluation →

FT
FACTS Transcripts Editorial Team16+ years of experience helping 50,000+ Indian applicants navigate WES, IQAS, ICES, CES, ECE, and credential evaluations. ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 certified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most common questions.

Up to 6 months per visit. Multiple-entry visitor visas may be valid up to 10 years, but each entry is limited to 6 months. Extensions are possible from within Canada (apply 30 days before expiry).

Yes. From within Canada, you can apply to extend your stay up to 6 additional months. Submit the application at least 30 days before your authorized stay expires.

Visitor visa: 6 months max per visit. Study permit: length of your program (typically 2–4 years for undergrad, 1–2 for grad), plus 90 days post-completion. Study permits require Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution.

For a tourist or short business visit, no. For study permit, work permit, or permanent residence, yes — credential evaluation is required to establish your foreign degree's equivalence.

Typically 1–4 years depending on the type. Open work permits (PGWP, spouse) typically 1–3 years. Employer-specific permits 1–4 years per the job offer. Intra-company transfers up to 7 years.

No. Visitor visas don't permit work in Canada. To work, you need a work permit (LMIA-based, open work permit, etc.) or PR.

Apply through Express Entry, PNP, or family sponsorship from within or outside Canada. Express Entry requires credential evaluation (WES/IQAS), language test, and other documentation.

Yes. Past visa overstays, immigration fraud, criminal records, or misrepresentation can result in entry denial. Maintain clean immigration history.

Common path: Visit Canada → Identify opportunities → Return to India → Apply for Express Entry/PNP with credential evaluation → Receive PR invitation → Move to Canada permanently. The credential evaluation step is critical.

Yes. We handle the credential evaluation foundation — WES, IQAS, ICES, CES applications. With your ECA report in hand, you can pursue Express Entry, PNP, or other immigration pathways.

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SIIP

Skilled Immigrant Integration Program

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Medium of Instruction Letter Guide

Plan Beyond a Short Visit — Build Your Canada Future

Whether you're visiting Canada now or planning long-term immigration, proper credential evaluation opens doors. FACTS Transcripts handles your WES, IQAS, ICES, or CES application end-to-end.

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