OtterFillHow to fill out IMM 5708 (extend your stay in Canada as a visitor)
IMM 5708, “Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Visitor or Temporary Resident Permit Holder”, is the form from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that people already in Canada use to stay longer as a visitor (a visitor record), restore their visitor status, or get a temporary resident permit. Each person applying fills in their own, and most upload it in their IRCC secure account.
Last checked against the official form:
- Form
- IMM 5708
- Edition
- IMM 5708 (09-2023) E
- Issued by
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Form language
- English
- Who receives it
- IRCC. You upload it in your IRCC secure account; paper is only for people who cannot apply online because of a disability or a problem with the online application
- Who fills it in
- Each person in Canada who wants to stay longer as a visitor, change to visitor status, restore visitor status, or get a temporary resident permit; every family member applies separately
- When
- Before your current status expires; IRCC advises at least 30 days before
- Edition used here
- IMM 5708 (09-2023) E
- Cost
- The form is free; extending your stay has a processing fee, and restoration and biometrics have their own fees. Check the official page for the current amounts
What this form is
IMM 5708 is the application a temporary resident already in Canada uses to stay longer as a visitor, to change the conditions of their stay (for example from a study or work permit to visitor status), to restore their status as a visitor, or to get a temporary resident permit. It collects your personal details, passport, contact information, when and how you came to Canada, why and how long you want to stay, your funds and whom you will visit, your education, your employment and a set of background questions.
IRCC says you must apply online to extend your stay as a visitor, as a worker authorized to work without a work permit, or as a student authorized to study without a study permit. In your IRCC secure account you answer a few questions (choose Visit and Canada), get a personal document checklist, download IMM 5708, fill it in on a computer with Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher, click Validate and upload it. IRCC asks for full details of why you want to stay longer, proof of identity and of your current status, proof that you can support yourself and pay for your trip home, your plans to leave Canada, and the passport pages with the stamp from your most recent entry.
If approved, you get a visitor record: a document with a new date by which you must leave. It is not a visa. If you apply before your status expires, you may stay under the same conditions until IRCC decides; people applying for a temporary resident permit do not keep their status this way. IRCC says the visitor record should arrive by mail within 6 weeks of your decision letter.
Who has to fill it in
You fill it in if:
- You are visiting Canada and want to stay longer than the date you were given at entry.
- You are a worker authorized to work without a work permit, or a student authorized to study without a study permit, and want to stay longer.
- Your study or work permit is ending and you want to stay on as a visitor.
- Your visitor status expired less than 90 days ago and you want to restore it.
- You are inadmissible to Canada and are applying for a first or new temporary resident permit.
- You are helping a child: each family member applies separately, and a parent or legal guardian signs for a person under 18.
You use something else if:
- You want to extend or change a study permit: that is IMM 5709.
- You want a first visitor visa or an eTA: IRCC says this guide is not for those; a visitor visa is applied for from outside Canada (IMM 5257) and an eTA online.
- You want to extend a work permit: IRCC has a separate worker application.
- Your status has already expired more than 90 days ago: IRCC says you are no longer eligible to restore it and must leave Canada.
Field-by-field instructions
Top of the form
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1UCI | Your Unique Client Identifier, the number IRCC gave you when you first applied. | Type it if you have one; it is on your visa, permits and IRCC letters. IRCC says to leave it empty if you do not have one. |
| 2I want service in | The official language you want IRCC to use when it serves you. | Choose English or French from the list. |
| 3I am applying for one or more of the following: Restore my status as a visitor / Extend my status as a visitor / Get a new temporary resident permit (for inadmissible applicants only) | What you are asking for: to restore your visitor status, to extend your stay as a visitor, or a temporary resident permit. | Check every box that applies. To stay longer, check the extend box. If your status has already expired, check the restore box instead. The temporary resident permit box is only for people who are inadmissible to Canada. |
Personal Details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1Full name: Family name (as shown on your passport or travel document) / Given name(s) (as shown on your passport or travel document) | Your family name and given names, which must match your passport or travel document. | Type them exactly as in the passport, even if they are misspelled there, and without initials. If your passport has no family name, put all your given names in the family name box and leave the given name box blank; if it has no given name, leave that box blank instead of writing “NA”. |
| 2a) Have you ever used any other name (e.g. Nickname, maiden name, alias, etc.) ? / b) If you answered "yes" to question 2a), please provide the name (e.g. Nickname, maiden name, alias, etc.) | Any other name you have used, such as a birth name, maiden name, married name, alias or nickname. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, enter each other family name and given name. |
| 3Sex | The gender identifier on your application: F (Female), M (Male), U (Unknown) or X (Another gender). | Choose it from the list. If it differs from the one on your current or earlier Canadian document, IRCC asks you to add the Request for a Change of Sex or Gender Identifier (IRM 0002). |
| 4Date of birth | The day you were born. | Enter the year (YYYY), month (MM) and day (DD) as in your passport. If part of your date of birth is unknown, IRCC says to type “*” in that part. |
| 5Place of birth: City/Town / Country or Territory | The city or town and the country or territory where you were born. | Type the city or town and choose the country or territory from the list, as they appear in your passport. |
| 6Citizenship | The country or territory of which you are a citizen. | Choose it from the list. If you have more than one citizenship, choose the one of the passport you use for this application. |
| 7Current country or territory of residence: Country or Territory / Status / Other / From / To | The country where you live now, which is Canada, your immigration status here and since when. | Canada is already chosen. Choose your status, for example Visitor, Worker or Student, and enter the From and To dates of that status as YYYY-MM-DD. If you are out of status, IRCC says to choose Foreign National. |
| 8a) Previous countries or territories of residence: During the past five years have you lived in any country or territory other than your country of citizenship or your current country or territory of residence (indicated above) for more than six months? / b) If you answered "yes" to question 8a), please provide details | Whether, in the past five years, you lived for more than six months in a country or territory other than your country of citizenship and Canada. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, add each country with your status there and the From and To dates. |
| 9a–9ca) Your current marital status / b) (If you are married or in a common-law relationship) Provide the date on which you were married or entered into the common-law relationship / c) Provide the name of your current Spouse/Common-law partner | Your current marital status and, if you have a spouse or common-law partner, when the relationship began and their name. | Choose from the list: Annulled Marriage, Common-Law, Divorced, Legally Separated, Married, Single, Unknown or Widowed. If you are married or common-law, enter the date as YYYY-MM-DD and your partner’s family and given names. IRCC asks for a copy of the marriage certificate if you are married, and the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union (IMM 5409) if you are common-law. |
| 9dd) If you are married or in a common-law relationship, is your spouse or common-law partner a Canadian citizen or permanent resident? | Whether your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. | Check No or Yes. Leave it if you are not married or in a common-law relationship. |
| 10a) Have you previously been married or in a common-law relationship? / b) Provide the following details for your previous Spouse/Common-law partner / c) Type of relationship / d) From / To / e) Date of Birth | Whether you were married or in a common-law relationship before, and the details of that partner. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, enter their family and given names, the type of relationship (Married or Common-Law), the From and To dates and their date of birth. |
Language(s)
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1aa) Native language/Mother Tongue | Your mother tongue: the language you learned at home as a child and still understand. | Choose it from the list. If it is not there, choose Other. |
| 1b–1db) Are you able to communicate in English and/or French? / c) In which language are you most at ease? / d) Have you taken a test from a designated testing agency to assess your proficiency in English or French? | Whether you can communicate in English, French, both or neither, the one you are most at ease in, and whether you took a test from a designated testing agency. | Choose from the lists, then check No or Yes for the test. IRCC says you do not have to send proof of language ability with this application, though it may ask for a test later. |
Passport
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1Passport number | The number of the passport you use for this application. | Copy it exactly as printed, with no spaces between the letters and numbers. |
| 2–4Country or territory of issue / Issue date / Expiry date | Which country or territory issued the passport, and when it was issued and expires. | Choose the country from the list and enter both dates as YYYY-MM-DD. Your status in Canada cannot go past your passport’s expiry date, so make sure it is valid for the whole extension you ask for. |
| 5–6For this trip, will you use a passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes your personal identification number? / For this trip, will you use a National Israeli passport? | Two questions for certain passports: a Taiwan passport that shows a personal identification number, and a National Israeli passport. | Check No or Yes for each, for the passport you use for this application. |
National Identity Document
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5Do you have a national identity document? / Document number / Country or territory of issue / Issue date / Expiry date | Whether you have a national identity document, and its details. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, enter the number exactly as printed, the issuing country or territory, and the issue and expiry dates. |
US PR Card
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3Are you a lawful Permanent Resident of the United States with a valid alien registration card (green card)? / Document number / Expiry date | Whether you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States with a valid green card. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, enter the card’s document number and expiry date. |
Contact Information
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1Current mailing address: P.O. box / Apt/Unit / Street no. / Street name / City/Town / Country or Territory / Province / Postal code / District | The address in Canada where IRCC mails your visitor record and letters. | Give a P.O. box or a street number, then the street name, city or town, province and postal code. Do not abbreviate words such as Street or Avenue, only directions such as NW. Use an address where you will still receive mail when the decision arrives. |
| 2Residential address: Same as mailing address? | Where you live, if different from the mailing address. | Check Yes if it is the same. If No, fill in the full residential address. |
| 3–5Telephone no. / Alternate Telephone no. / Fax no. | Your telephone number, an alternate number and, if you have one, a fax number. | For each, check Canada/US or Other, choose the type (Residence, Cellular or Business) and enter the number with the area code. Put an extension, if any, under Ext. |
| 6E-mail address | The address IRCC can use to write to you. | Type an address you check often. Giving it authorizes IRCC to send all correspondence, including personal information, by email; IRCC’s emails end in @cic.gc.ca, @canada.ca or @international.gc.ca, so add these to your safe senders. To let a representative receive information, give their details here and on the IMM 5476 form. |
Coming into Canada
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1Date and place of your original entry to Canada: Date / Place | When and where you first entered Canada. | Enter the date as YYYY-MM-DD and the place, for example the airport or border crossing where you arrived. |
| 2a) The original purpose for coming to Canada / b) Other | Why you first came to Canada. | Choose Business, Tourism, Study, Work, Family Visit or Other. If you choose Other, describe it in b), for example a medical visit. |
| 3Date and place of your most recent entry to Canada (if not the same as original entry): Date / Place | When and where you last entered Canada, if that was not your first entry. | Enter the date and place of your most recent entry. Leave it blank if you have not left and come back since your first entry. IRCC asks for copies of the passport pages with the stamp from your most recent entry. |
| 4Document Number: If applicable, provide the document number of the most recent Visitor Record, Study Permit, Work Permit or Temporary Resident Permit issued to you. | The number of the last visitor record, study permit, work permit or temporary resident permit Canada issued to you. | If you have one, copy the document number from it, not your UCI. If you entered as a visitor and were never given such a document, leave it blank. |
Details of Visit to Canada
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1a) Purpose of my visit / b) Other | Why you want to extend your stay. | Choose from the list, for example Tourism, Family Visit, Business, Short-Term Studies, Returning Student, Returning Worker or Super Visa: For Parents or Grandparents. IRCC says the Super Visa choice is only for people who entered Canada with a Super Visa. If you choose Other, describe it in b), for example a medical visit. |
| 2Indicate how long you plan to stay: From / To | The dates of the extra stay you are asking for. | Enter the From and To dates as YYYY-MM-DD, within your passport’s validity, and be ready to show your plans to leave Canada, such as the date and how you will travel. |
| 3a) Funds available for my stay (CAD) / b) My expenses in Canada will be paid by: / c) Other | The money you have for the rest of your stay, and who pays your expenses. | Type the amount in Canadian dollars (CAD), matching your bank statements or a guarantor’s letter. Then choose Myself, Parents or Other, and if Other, say who in c). |
| 4Name, address and relationship of any person(s) or institution(s) I will visit: Name / Relationship to me / Address in Canada | The people or institutions, including schools, you will visit during the extension. | For each, give the name, how they are related to you (for example friend, family or co-worker) and their address in Canada with street, city or town and postal code. The first row must be filled in. |
Education
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Have you had any post secondary education (including university, college or apprenticeship training)? / If you answered ‘‘yes’’, give full details of your highest level of post secondary education. | Whether you have had any education after secondary school, and the highest level. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, give your highest level: the From and To dates (year and month), the field of study, the school, and its city, country or territory and province or state. |
Employment
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1Current Activity/Occupation / Company/Employer/Facility name / City/Town / Country or Territory / Province/State | What you are doing now. | Enter the From date (year and month), your job or activity, the employer or school, and the city, country and province. If you are not working, say what you do instead, for example retired or not working. |
| 2–3Previous Activity/Occupation | What you did before, so the section covers the past 10 years. | Give the same details for each earlier job or activity, with no gaps, including any government position. If you are retired, IRCC asks for the 10 years before you retired. If you need more rows, print an extra page of the section. |
Background Information
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| 1a) Within the past two years, have you or a family member ever had tuberculosis of the lungs or been in close contact with a person with tuberculosis? / b) Do you have any physical or mental disorder that would require social and/or health services, other than medication, during a stay in Canada? / c) If you answered "yes" to question 1a) or 1b), please provide details. | Questions about tuberculosis, in you or a family member in the past two years, and about any condition that would need social or health services (other than medication) during your stay. | Check No or Yes for each. If Yes to either, give details in c). |
| 2a) Have you ever remained beyond the validity of your status, attended school without authorization or worked without authorization in Canada? / b) Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry or ordered to leave Canada or any other country or territory? / c) Have you previously applied to enter or remain in Canada? / d) If you answered "yes" to question 2a), 2b) or 2c), please provide details. | Questions about past immigration problems: staying beyond your status, studying or working without authorization in Canada, a refusal, denied entry or an order to leave any country, and earlier applications to Canada. | Check No or Yes for each. If you applied before for a Canadian visa, permit or extension, answer Yes to c) and give the details, with dates, in d). |
| 3a) Have you ever committed, been arrested for or been charged with or convicted of any criminal offence in any country or territory? / b) If you answered "yes" to question 3a), please provide details. | Whether you have ever committed, been arrested for, charged with or convicted of a criminal offence in any country or territory. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, give the details in b). |
| 4a) Did you serve in any military, militia, or civil defence unit or serve in a security organization or police force (including non obligatory national service, reserve or volunteer units)? / b) If you answered “yes” to question 4a), please provide dates of service and countries or territories where you served. | Whether you served in a military, militia or civil defence unit, a security organization or a police force, including national service, reserve or volunteer units. | Check No or Yes. If Yes, enter your dates of service and the countries or territories where you served. |
| 5Are you, or have you ever been a member or associated with any political party, or other group or organization which has engaged in or advocated violence as a means to achieving a political or religious objective, or which has been associated with criminal activity at any time? | Whether you are or have been a member of, or associated with, a political party, group or organization that engaged in or advocated violence for a political or religious aim, or that was associated with criminal activity. | Check No or Yes. Applicants 18 or older must answer every question in this section, or the application is considered incomplete and returned. |
| 6Have you ever witnessed or participated in the ill treatment of prisoners or civilians, looting or desecration of religious buildings? | Whether you have witnessed or taken part in the ill treatment of prisoners or civilians, looting, or desecration of religious buildings. | Check No or Yes. |
Signature
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Do you consent to be contacted by CIC, or an organization at CIC’s request, in the future? (Y/N) | Your choice about whether IRCC, or an organization acting for it, may contact you later about services you received, for research and evaluation. It is not used to decide your application. | Check Yes or No. |
| Signature of Applicant or Parent/Legal Guardian’s for a person under 18 years of age. / Date: YYYY-MM-DD | Your signature and the date, under a declaration that your answers are full and true and that you consent to the release to IRCC and the CBSA of records about you held by authorities in the countries where you have lived. | If you apply online, do not print or sign the form and do not use the signature panel: upload it, then sign electronically in your account by typing your name. On paper, sign and date it in pen (YYYY-MM-DD); a parent or legal guardian signs for a person under 18. |
Key terms
| Term on the form | What it means |
|---|---|
| UCI (Unique Client Identifier) | A number IRCC gives each client the first time they apply. It is on your visa, permits and IRCC letters. |
| Visitor Record | The document IRCC issues when it lets you stay longer as a visitor. It shows a new expiry date, which is the date you must leave by. It is not a visa and does not guarantee that you can leave and come back. |
| Maintained status | If you apply to extend before your status expires, you may stay in Canada under the same conditions until IRCC decides. An application returned as incomplete counts as never submitted, so it does not give you this, and temporary resident permit applicants do not get it. |
| Restore my status as a visitor | A way to get your visitor status back if it expired less than 90 days ago, by explaining what happened, meeting the requirements for a visitor and paying the restoration fee. It is not guaranteed. |
| Temporary resident permit | A permit for people who are inadmissible to Canada. Its box on the form is only for them, and they do not keep their status while the application is processed. |
| Super Visa: For Parents or Grandparents | A visa for parents and grandparents, as the form’s list names it. On this form, choose it as the purpose only if you entered Canada with a Super Visa. |
| Document checklist (IMM 5558) | IRCC’s list of the documents to include. Online, your account generates a personal checklist, and you download IMM 5708 from it. |
| Validate | The button at the top and bottom of the form. It marks missing answers in red and, when the form is complete, adds a page of barcodes at the end. You must click it whether you apply online or on paper. |
| Biometrics | Your fingerprints and photo. You may need to give them for this application; most people give them once every 10 years. If asked, book an appointment as soon as you can. |
| Status | Your legal standing: on this form, usually Visitor, Worker or Student in Canada, and the dates you have held it. |
| Common-law | A partner you have lived with continuously in a marital-type relationship for at least one year. IRCC asks for the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union (IMM 5409). |
Common mistakes
- 1
Applying after your status expired
If your status has already expired, you cannot extend it. Check the restore box instead, within 90 days. IRCC says a fee paid for the wrong application is not refunded.
- 2
Reading the wrong expiry date
Your status ends on the date stamped in your passport at entry, not on the date of your visa. With no stamp, it ends 6 months after you entered; with a permit or visitor record, on the date printed on it.
- 3
A vague reason for staying
IRCC asks for full details of why you want to stay longer and of your plans to leave Canada. Add a letter that explains both and matches the purpose and dates on the form.
- 4
Funds that do not match the proof
The funds box is in Canadian dollars and should agree with your bank statements or a guarantor’s letter for the whole extra stay.
- 5
Asking for dates past your passport’s expiry
Your status cannot outlast your passport. Renew it first, or ask only for dates within its validity.
- 6
Leaving background questions unanswered
Every question in that section must be answered, or the application is returned as incomplete. A returned application counts as never submitted, so it does not keep your status.
- 7
Printing and signing the form for an online application
Online, you upload the validated form without a signature and sign electronically at the end. A printed and scanned copy loses the barcode page.
- 8
Treating the visitor record as a visa
A visitor record only lets you stay longer. If you leave Canada, you need a valid visitor visa or eTA to come back, unless you only visited the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon and return within your authorized stay.
Questions and answers
What is IMM 5708 used for?
It is the application to stay longer in Canada as a visitor (a visitor record), to change to visitor status, to restore your visitor status, or to get a temporary resident permit. You fill it in and upload it in your IRCC secure account.
What is a visitor record?
A document that lets you stay in Canada longer as a visitor. It shows a new date by which you must leave. It is not a visa and does not guarantee that you can leave and come back.
When should I apply to extend my stay?
Before your current status expires. IRCC advises applying at least 30 days before.
How do I know when my status expires?
Look for the date stamped in your passport when you entered. If there is no stamp, your status ends 6 months after the day you entered. If you hold a visitor record, study permit or work permit, use the date on it.
Can I stay in Canada while I wait for the decision?
Yes, if you applied before your status expired: you may stay under the same conditions until IRCC decides. This is called maintained status. It does not apply to temporary resident permit applicants.
Do I sign IMM 5708 if I apply online?
No. You validate the form, save it and upload it unsigned. At the end of the online application you sign electronically by entering your name and answering a security question.
My status already expired. What can I do?
Within 90 days of losing it, you may apply to restore it on the same form: check the restore box, explain what happened and pay the restoration fee. After that, IRCC says you must leave Canada.
Can I switch from a study or work permit to visitor status?
Yes. IRCC says a study permit or work permit holder can apply for a visitor record to stay on as a visitor. Apply before your permit expires.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
The form is free. Extending your stay has a processing fee, restoration and biometrics have their own fees, and processing times change. Check the IRCC fees and processing times pages for the current figures.
Fill in this form in your language
Upload the form to OtterFill. It explains every question in your language, prefills answers from your documents and checks the form before you submit it.
This guide explains a form. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and forms change: check the official instructions before you submit. How we write and check our guides