To get a Temporary Resident Permit in Canada, you apply either at a Canadian port of entry, through a visa office from outside the country, or from within Canada under IRCC Guide 5554, and you ask an immigration officer to find that your reason for entering outweighs the risk your inadmissibility poses. The permit is discretionary, costs CAD $246.25, and can last from a single day up to three years depending on what the officer decides your circumstances justify.
Check Whether You Actually Need a TRP
Before filling out anything, confirm a TRP is your only route. A permit is temporary by design, so if a permanent solution is available, take it.
If your inadmissibility is criminal and at least five years have passed since you completed your entire sentence (jail, probation, parole, fines, and any driver’s license suspension), you can apply for individual criminal rehabilitation.1Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. When Can I Apply for Individual Rehabilitation Approval permanently resolves the inadmissibility tied to that offense. Processing often runs well over a year, but you never have to deal with the issue again.
Deemed rehabilitation works automatically with no application. If 10 years have passed since you completed a sentence for a single offense that would carry a maximum of less than 10 years in Canada, you may already qualify. For two or more minor offenses, the waiting period is five years.2Canada.ca. Deemed Rehabilitation Be confident before you arrive: if the officer disagrees, you’re turned away.
If your offense is too recent or involves serious criminality (a Canadian maximum sentence of 10 years or more, or an actual sentence over six months), a TRP is likely your only path in.3Justice Laws Website. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act SC 2001, c. 27 – Section 36
Choose Your Application Route
There is no single universal TRP form. Where you apply depends on where you are, and each route has different tradeoffs.
At a Canadian Port of Entry
When you arrive at a land border or airport, tell the officer you’d like TRP consideration. They review your passport, verify your documents, check any required medical certificates, and decide on the spot whether your need outweighs the risk.4Canada.ca. How to Apply for or Request a Temporary Resident Permit Same-day decisions make this the fastest route. It’s also the riskiest. If you’re refused, you’ve traveled for nothing and now have a refusal on your record.
From Outside Canada
There is no standalone TRP application for people outside the country. You apply for the temporary residence document you actually need (a visitor visa, work permit, or study permit) and request TRP consideration as part of that application.4Canada.ca. How to Apply for or Request a Temporary Resident Permit U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents living in the United States submit an inquiry through the IRCC web form and request instructions from the Los Angeles visa office. Applicants from countries that normally require an electronic travel authorization follow a similar web-form process to get application instructions.
From Inside Canada
If you’re already in Canada and need an initial TRP, or your current TRP is expiring and you need another one, follow IRCC’s Guide 5554. This path also applies to people whose immigration status has lapsed, victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence, and foreign nationals who were in state care.5Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Guide 5554 – Applying to Stay in Canada Longer as a Temporary Resident Permit Holder TRPs cannot be renewed, so a new application must be filed and evaluated from scratch before the current permit lapses.
Documents to Gather
The core package looks the same across all three routes. Missing documents slow the process and signal that you haven’t taken the application seriously.
Start with a valid passport or travel document. Add police certificates from every country where you’ve lived for six consecutive months or more since turning 18; the certificate from your current country of residence must be issued no more than six months before your application date.6Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Police Certificate – When to Get a Police Certificate You don’t need certificates for time in Canada or for any period before you turned 18.
If your inadmissibility involves health concerns, book a medical exam with a panel physician on IRCC’s approved list. Your own doctor cannot perform this exam even if they’re qualified.7Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Medical Exams – Immigration
Most applicants between 14 and 79 must give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) at a designated collection point. They remain valid for 10 years once submitted.
Round out the package with financial proof (bank statements or a sponsor letter), court records, certificates of sentence completion, reference letters, and evidence of any completed rehabilitation programs. If you’re traveling for a specific event, bring documentation for it: a funeral notice, a signed business contract, a confirmed medical appointment.
Write the Letter of Explanation
This is the single most important document you’ll submit. Officers process stacks of TRP requests, and the letter is where you make your individual case. A vague, generic letter is the fastest way to get refused.
Open by directly acknowledging what makes you inadmissible. Don’t minimize or dance around it. If you have a DUI conviction, say so, give the date and the outcome, and confirm your sentence is complete. Officers already have your police certificate. Honesty and specificity show accountability.
Then explain why you need to be in Canada and why that need outweighs the risk. Be concrete. “I need to attend my mother’s medical procedure on March 15 at Toronto General Hospital” is persuasive. “Family reasons” is not. Attach proof of whatever you claim: a letter from the hospital, a death certificate, a signed employment contract.
Finally, show what has changed since the offense. Completion of a treatment program, years of clean record, stable employment, and community involvement all demonstrate rehabilitation. If you’ve traveled internationally without incident since the conviction, say so. The goal is to make the officer confident that issuing the permit is a low-risk decision.
What It Costs
The TRP application fee is CAD $246.25 per person, effective December 2025.8Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees It is non-refundable and adjusts annually; it was $239.75 the prior year and $229.77 the year before that.9Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees – Fee Changes Biometrics add $85 per person.
Victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence, and foreign nationals who were in state care are exempt from the TRP fee, biometrics fee, and any associated work or study permit fees.10Canada.ca. Temporary Resident Permits
How Officers Decide
Every TRP decision comes down to a balancing test: does your need to be in Canada outweigh the risk to Canadian society?4Canada.ca. How to Apply for or Request a Temporary Resident Permit Officers look at the nature and seriousness of your inadmissibility, how long ago it occurred, and whether your behavior since then suggests rehabilitation. They weigh that against the purpose of your visit. Attending a parent’s funeral, closing an essential business transaction, or receiving medical treatment carries more weight than tourism.
Your immigration history matters too. Previous overstays, refused applications, or misrepresentations make officers skeptical. Ties to your home country that suggest you’ll leave when the permit expires work in your favor. There is no scoring formula. Two people with identical records can get opposite results because their reasons for visiting differ.
After You Apply
Port-of-entry applications get same-day decisions. Applications submitted from outside or inside Canada take considerably longer, and IRCC does not publish a specific service standard for TRP processing. Waiting several months is common. During processing, IRCC may request more documents or an interview. Respond promptly; delays on your end push back the timeline and signal disinterest in your own application.
If your TRP is refused, there is no formal appeal. You can reapply, but only if your situation has changed significantly or you have new information that addresses the reason for refusal. Submitting the identical application again won’t produce a different result. If you believe the decision was unreasonable or involved a legal error, you can file for judicial review with the Federal Court of Canada, which typically requires legal representation and has a tight filing deadline.11Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How Do I Get Help if My Temporary Residence Application Is Refused
Conditions and Leaving Canada
A TRP can last anywhere from a single day to three years, depending on your circumstances and the officer’s assessment.5Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Guide 5554 – Applying to Stay in Canada Longer as a Temporary Resident Permit Holder The permit typically comes with conditions. You may need separate authorization to work or study, may have to report to immigration authorities, or may be restricted to specific activities. Violating any condition can lead to cancellation and fresh grounds of inadmissibility.
Leaving Canada is the trap that catches most TRP holders. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, your permit becomes invalid the moment you leave the country unless it specifically authorizes re-entry.12Justice Laws Website. Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations SOR/2002-227 – Section 63 Read the wording on your permit before making any travel plans. If it states that departure will not invalidate the TRP, you’re authorized to leave and return. If it doesn’t include that language, crossing the border cancels the permit and you’ll need a new one to come back.