diff --git a/src/_pytest/_py/path.py b/src/_pytest/_py/path.py
index c7ab1182f..b19df1297 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/_py/path.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/_py/path.py
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class NeverRaised(Exception):
 
 class Visitor:
     def __init__(self, fil, rec, ignore, bf, sort):
-        if isinstance(fil, str):
+        if isinstance(fil, (str, bytes)):
             fil = FNMatcher(fil)
         if isinstance(rec, str):
             self.rec: Callable[[LocalPath], bool] = FNMatcher(rec)
diff --git a/testing/_py/test_local.py b/testing/_py/test_local.py
index 0215aba96..36d022fcc 100644
--- a/testing/_py/test_local.py
+++ b/testing/_py/test_local.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ class CommonFSTests:
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "fil",
-        ["*dir", "*dir", pytest.mark.skip("sys.version_info < (3,6)")(b"*dir")],
+        ["*dir", "*dir", pytest.mark.skipif("sys.version_info < (3,10)")(b"*dir")],
     )
     def test_visit_filterfunc_is_string(self, path1, fil):
         lst = []
@@ -461,12 +461,10 @@ class CommonFSTests:
 
         assert fspath(path1) == path1.strpath
 
-    @pytest.mark.skip("sys.version_info < (3,6)")
     def test_fspath_open(self, path1):
         f = path1.join("opentestfile")
         open(f)
 
-    @pytest.mark.skip("sys.version_info < (3,6)")
     def test_fspath_fsencode(self, path1):
         from os import fsencode