If you’re here illegally: Understanding your options
Overview
If your visa has expired, this means you’re now here illegally (in immigration law, this is called having “unlawful status,” or being here “unlawfully”). Once your status becomes unlawful, you generally have no right to apply for a new visa, and you may have to leave the country.
However, you do have some options:
- you can apply for a visa as a special case under section 61 of the Immigration Act
- you can appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds.
