Canadian Temporary Resident Permit
A Temporary Resident Permit may allow an inadmissible or otherwise non-compliant foreign national to enter or remain in Canada for a limited period when there is a compelling temporary reason. Issuance is discretionary and never guaranteed.
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A Temporary Resident Permit, commonly called a TRP, is not a visitor visa. It is a discretionary, time-limited immigration document used when a foreign national is inadmissible to Canada or does not meet a requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, but has a compelling temporary reason to enter or stay. A TRP does not permanently overcome inadmissibility and may be cancelled at any time.
What is a Canadian Temporary Resident Permit?
For an initial TRP, IRCC’s current eligibility instructions state that the person must be a foreign national who is inadmissible to Canada or does not meet an IRPA requirement, does not currently hold temporary resident status and has a compelling reason to enter or remain in Canada temporarily. An officer weighs the person’s need to enter or stay against the health or safety risk to Canadian society. There is no guarantee that a TRP will be issued.
A current TRP holder requesting another TRP must continue to have a valid and compelling reason to remain in Canada. A pending initial or subsequent TRP application does not provide maintained status.
Temporary Resident Permit versus Temporary Resident Visa
Temporary Resident Permit: A discretionary permit that may allow an inadmissible or otherwise non-compliant foreign national to obtain temporary resident status for a limited period.
Temporary Resident Visa: A travel document used by a visa-required foreign national who meets the applicable travel and temporary-residence requirements. A TRV does not overcome inadmissibility. A TRP also does not replace every separate travel-document requirement.
When may a TRP be considered?
A TRP may be relevant when a foreign national has a compelling temporary reason to enter or remain in Canada despite an inadmissibility or non-compliance issue. Examples can involve criminal inadmissibility, medical inadmissibility, misrepresentation, previous immigration non-compliance, financial inadmissibility, security concerns or another ground under Canadian immigration law. The exact inadmissibility ground and the available legal remedy must be assessed separately.
A TRP is temporary. It does not permanently resolve the underlying inadmissibility.
Criminal inadmissibility, rehabilitation and record suspensions
Criminal inadmissibility may require separate analysis of deemed rehabilitation, individual rehabilitation, a Canadian record suspension or the effect of a foreign pardon or discharge.
A Canadian record suspension removes inadmissibility arising from that Canadian conviction. A pardon or discharge issued outside Canada must be assessed for Canadian immigration purposes.
How to request or apply for a TRP
The correct process depends on where the person is located and whether the person needs a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or electronic travel authorization to travel to Canada.
Outside Canada: visa-required applicant
IRCC states that there is no separate universal TRP application for a visa-required foreign national outside Canada. The person applies online for the appropriate temporary residence document, such as a visitor visa, study permit or work permit, and may request TRP consideration within that application.
The applicant should follow the current IRCC instructions for uploading supporting documents that explain the inadmissibility or non-compliance, the reason for entering Canada and proof that the separate TRP processing fee was paid. An interview may be required.
Outside Canada: eTA-required applicant
An eTA-required foreign national who knows that they are inadmissible should follow IRCC’s current web-form instructions to request directions for a TRP. There is no separate universal TRP form for all applicants outside Canada.
U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident applying from the United States
IRCC currently directs a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident in the United States to gather the relevant documents and use the IRCC web form to request instructions from the responsible visa office.
Important form distinction
IMM 1444 is the Application for Criminal Rehabilitation. It is not a universal TRP application form.
For the regular inside-Canada route, a person requesting only an initial or subsequent TRP uses IMM 5708. A person requesting a TRP together with a study permit uses IMM 5709. A person requesting a TRP together with a work permit uses IMM 5710. Special processes exist for eligible victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence and certain foreign nationals who were in state care.
Requesting TRP consideration at a port of entry
A person may request TRP consideration at a Canadian port of entry. The border services officer checks the person’s passport or travel document, eligibility for the requested immigration documents and any required medical documentation. The officer then assesses whether there is a compelling reason and whether the need to enter Canada outweighs the health or safety risk to Canadian society.
The officer may issue a TRP or refuse the request. A refusal means the person will not be allowed to enter Canada. A port-of-entry request is not a guaranteed or routine emergency solution, and urgency alone does not establish eligibility.
What supporting evidence may be required?
There is no single document list for every TRP request. The evidence depends on the inadmissibility or non-compliance ground, the person’s location, the temporary purpose and the application route.
The package may need to explain the legal issue, the compelling reason for entry or continued stay, the proposed duration, the relevant risk factors and the evidence supporting the request. Identity and travel documents, the applicable temporary-residence application, proof of fee payment and relevant criminal, medical, immigration or court records may be required. Follow the current IRCC checklist and route-specific instructions.
Temporary Resident Permit fee
IRCC’s fee table lists the Temporary Resident Permit processing fee as CAD 246.25 per person as of August 1, 2026. The fee is generally non-refundable when the request is refused. Eligible victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence and eligible foreign nationals who were in state care may be exempt from specified TRP, work permit, study permit and biometrics fees.
Always verify the live IRCC fee table before applying.
How long does a TRP application take?
IRCC does not publish one general processing-time range covering every TRP route. Timing depends on where and how the request is made and the facts of the case.
Validity, travel, work and study
An officer determines the validity period. IRCC states that a TRP can be issued for up to three years and may be cancelled at any time.
A TRP normally stops being valid when the holder leaves Canada unless the document specifically states that it is valid for re-entry.
A TRP does not by itself authorize work or study. The holder must obtain any required work permit or study permit. A TRP holder with a permit valid for at least six months may be eligible to apply in Canada for a work permit or study permit, subject to the applicable requirements.
A pending TRP application does not provide maintained status. When a current TRP expires before another TRP is issued, the person loses temporary resident status and must leave Canada.
Get case-specific advice before relying on a TRP
TRP requests are discretionary and fact-specific. The correct strategy depends on the inadmissibility ground, the person’s location, the temporary purpose, the available evidence and whether a separate temporary-residence document, rehabilitation application, record suspension or other remedy is required.
This page provides general information and is not a substitute for advice based on the complete facts of a case.
Official sources reviewed
- Temporary resident permit, IRCC overview
- Temporary resident permit, who can apply or make a request
- Temporary resident permit, how to apply or make a request
- Temporary resident permit, after you apply or make a request
- IRCC fee list
- Overcome criminal convictions, rehabilitation and record suspensions
- IMM 1444, Application for Criminal Rehabilitation
All sources reviewed on August 1, 2026.
