How to Apply for a Temporary Resident Permit if You Are Inadmissible to Canada

Who can request a Temporary Resident Permit?

A Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) allows a foreign national who is inadmissible or does not meet requirements of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to enter or remain in Canada temporarily when an officer decides that doing so is justified in the circumstances.

IRCC's current eligibility guidance says you must be a foreign national, be inadmissible or fail to meet IRPA requirements, not currently hold temporary resident status in the situation covered by the eligibility rules, and have a compelling reason to enter or stay in Canada temporarily.

The central test is discretionary: your need to enter or remain in Canada must outweigh the health or safety risks to Canadian society associated with your inadmissibility. Even an apparently minor inadmissibility does not automatically qualify you.

A TRP is temporary permission, not permanent rehabilitation

A TRP grants temporary resident status for a limited period despite an inadmissibility or failure to meet IRPA requirements. It does not permanently overcome the inadmissibility and does not make you satisfy an IRPA requirement that you otherwise fail to meet.

For criminal inadmissibility, another long-term solution may be deemed rehabilitation, individual rehabilitation or a Canadian record suspension, depending on the circumstances. A TRP can instead provide temporary entry or stay where an officer considers the circumstances compelling.

What problems can lead to a TRP request?

IRCC identifies several reasons a person may be inadmissible, including criminal, medical, financial, security and misrepresentation-related grounds. A person can also fail to meet IRPA requirements without being inadmissible on one of those grounds.

IRCC gives examples of non-compliance such as:

• not being examined when entering Canada;
• not obtaining a required temporary resident visa;
• having a visa expire before entry;
• not having a valid passport;
• remaining in Canada beyond the authorized period; or
• working or studying without the required authorization.

Because the legal consequences differ by ground, your application should clearly identify the actual problem rather than simply state that you are inadmissible.

What counts as a compelling reason?

There is no automatic list of circumstances that guarantees a TRP. The officer weighs your need to enter or stay in Canada against the risks created by the inadmissibility.

Your submission should therefore explain the specific temporary purpose, why your presence in Canada is important, why the matter cannot reasonably be handled another way, how long you need to be in Canada and what evidence supports those statements.

IRCC emphasizes that a TRP is only issued when justified in the circumstances and at the officer's discretion. A routine desire to visit Canada is not enough merely because an applicant prefers the TRP route.

What documents should support your request?

The exact documents depend on where and how you apply, but the evidence should establish both the immigration problem and the reason for requesting an exception.

For in-Canada applications, IRCC Guide 5554 identifies documents such as:

• a passport or other acceptable travel document;
• copies of current immigration documents, if applicable;
• 2 passport-size photographs for each person applying under that in-Canada package;
• evidence of steps taken to resolve the inadmissibility or non-compliance;
• evidence showing how you will support yourself in Canada;
• details of how and when you plan to leave Canada;
• a letter explaining the circumstances of the inadmissibility and why a TRP is justified; and
• criminal records, conviction documents, proof of sentence or other records when applicable.

Outside Canada, your supporting package should likewise explain both why you are inadmissible or do not meet IRPA requirements and why you need temporary entry.

How much does a Temporary Resident Permit cost?

As of September 4, 2026, IRCC's official fee list sets the Temporary Resident Permit processing fee at CAD $246.25 per person.

This fee is separate from any visitor visa, study permit, work permit or biometrics fee that applies to your underlying temporary residence application. IRCC's current outside-Canada instructions specifically require the TRP fee to be paid separately from the other temporary residence fees and the receipt to be included with the request.

IRCC states that victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence and eligible foreign nationals who were in state care do not pay specified fees for an initial or subsequent TRP, work permit, study permit or biometrics.

If you need a Canadian visa

There is no separate TRP application form for foreign nationals outside Canada under IRCC's current process.

If you need a visa to travel to Canada, complete the appropriate online temporary residence application for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit. In the optional Client Information section, upload supporting material explaining:

• why you are inadmissible or do not meet IRPA or Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations requirements;
• why you want to enter Canada;
• why your circumstances justify TRP consideration; and
• proof that you separately paid the TRP processing fee.

If your purpose is to visit family and you need a visitor visa, Helpydo also explains how to apply for a Canadian visitor visa to visit family. A normal visitor visa application and a TRP request address different legal issues.

If you normally need an eTA

If you are from an eTA-required country and already know that you are inadmissible, IRCC currently instructs you to submit an IRCC web form and request instructions on how to apply for a TRP as a citizen of an eTA-required country.

This differs from the visa-required process, so do not assume that the same online upload workflow applies to every visa-exempt traveller.

If you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident

A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who is in the United States should gather the documents and information needed to explain the circumstances and submit an IRCC web form enquiry. IRCC instructs applicants to request that the enquiry be sent to the Los Angeles visa office and ask for instructions on applying for a TRP as a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Applying for a TRP from inside Canada

If you are in Canada and need an initial TRP or another TRP, IRCC's current in-Canada procedure is a paper application.

If you need only a TRP, complete:

• IMM 5708 — Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Visitor or Temporary Resident Permit Holder;
• IMM 5557 — Document Checklist; and
• any additional forms required by your circumstances, such as IMM 5409 or IMM 5476.

Pay the applicable TRP fee online, print the receipt and include it with the completed forms and supporting documents.

Where to mail an in-Canada TRP application

IRCC's current instructions give the following regular-mail address:

New Waterford Digitization Centre
Temporary Resident Permits
P.O. Box 8400
Sydney NS B1P 0G6

IRCC recommends using a postal or courier service with a tracking number so you have proof that the application was delivered. Special procedures and addresses apply to victims of human trafficking, victims of family violence and foreign nationals who were in state care.

What if you also need a work or study permit?

Inside Canada, applicants who need a TRP together with another document use a different application form. IRCC instructs applicants seeking a TRP and study permit to use IMM 5709, while applicants seeking a TRP and work permit use IMM 5710.

A TRP itself does not authorize work or study. IRCC states that a foreign national who receives a TRP valid for at least 6 months may apply in Canada for a work permit or study permit where eligible.

Can you request a TRP at a port of entry?

IRCC provides a port-of-entry TRP consideration process. When you arrive, tell the officer that you want to request TRP consideration. The officer checks your passport or travel document, your eligibility for the requested immigration documents and any required medical certificate.

The officer may issue a TRP if you have a compelling reason and your need to enter Canada outweighs the health or safety risks. If the officer is not satisfied, the request can be refused and you will not be allowed to enter Canada.

Because approval remains discretionary, travelling to the border without advance resolution creates a real risk of refusal.

How long does a TRP application take?

IRCC does not publish a single guaranteed decision time covering every TRP route and circumstance.

IRCC's 2024-2025 Fees Report lists a service standard of sending an acknowledgement of processing within 30 days for the Temporary Resident Permit fee. That is an acknowledgement standard, not a promise that a decision will be made within 30 days.

IRCC may ask for additional documents or an interview. Guide 5554 also states that when a medical examination is required, the examination and assessment may add more than 3 months to processing.

TRP applicants do not get maintained status

This is an important difference from some other temporary resident processes: TRP applicants do not benefit from maintained status.

IRCC states that this applies both to applicants seeking an initial TRP and to existing TRP holders seeking another one. If your current TRP expires before a new TRP is issued, you do not keep temporary resident status simply because the new application is still being processed.

Existing TRP holders should therefore apply well before the expiry date. IRCC also states that an expired TRP holder cannot restore status as a TRP holder.

How long can a TRP be valid?

A TRP can be issued for a maximum of 3 years. The officer decides the actual validity period based on the circumstances.

A permit can be cancelled at any time. It also normally stops being valid when you leave Canada unless the document specifically says that it is valid for re-entry.

If a request made outside Canada is approved, IRCC places a TRP counterfoil in the passport and sends a letter for presentation to a border services officer on arrival. The counterfoil's expiry date is the date by which you must arrive in Canada; it is not automatically the length of your authorized stay. The border officer issues the TRP status document showing how long you may stay.

Conditions after you receive a TRP

While holding a TRP, IRCC expects you to:

• obey Canadian law;
• comply with all conditions imposed on the permit;
• take required steps to resolve the inadmissibility;
• not work or study without the required authorization; and
• leave Canada by the permit's expiry date unless another TRP is issued.

TRP versus criminal rehabilitation

If criminal inadmissibility is the problem, a TRP and criminal rehabilitation serve different purposes. A TRP is temporary permission despite the inadmissibility. Rehabilitation, where available, addresses the criminal inadmissibility itself.

IRCC states that depending on the offence and timing, a person may overcome criminal inadmissibility through deemed rehabilitation, approved individual rehabilitation or a record suspension. A TRP may still be considered where there is a compelling temporary reason to enter Canada.

Common TRP mistakes to avoid

• Treating the TRP like a normal visa: it is a discretionary exception for inadmissibility or non-compliance, not simply another visitor document.
• Failing to explain the compelling reason: documents about the inadmissibility alone do not establish why temporary entry or stay should be permitted.
• Using the wrong application route: visa-required, eTA-required, U.S. and in-Canada applicants follow different procedures.
• Forgetting the separate TRP fee: outside visa-required applicants must separately pay the TRP processing fee and upload the receipt with the request.
• Assuming approval is guaranteed: the officer must weigh your need against the risks and can refuse the request.
• Assuming a TRP permanently cures inadmissibility: the underlying inadmissibility normally remains unless separately resolved.
• Assuming a pending application preserves status: TRP applicants do not benefit from maintained status.
• Assuming a TRP lets you work or study: separate authorization is required.

What happens after IRCC decides?

If an outside-Canada request is approved, IRCC provides documents for travel and the final TRP status document is issued after examination at the Canadian port of entry. If an in-Canada initial application is approved, IRCC sends the TRP to the address provided in the application.

If an in-Canada initial TRP application is refused, IRCC states that the applicant must leave Canada. If a subsequent TRP application is refused, the rules depend on the expiry date of the current permit.

An application rejected as incomplete is treated as though it was never submitted, so the applicant must reapply.