Temporary resident permit (TRP): how to enter Canada when you are inadmissible

By Sundeep S. Grewal, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 11, 2026

Published November 11, 2026

Sundeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2018, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 11, 2026: section 24 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, IRCC’s page on overcoming criminal convictions (modified July 23, 2026) and the IRCC fee list (modified November 10, 2026) checked that day.

A temporary resident permit, or TRP, is the way into Canada for someone the law would otherwise keep out. A past conviction, a medical issue, a previous misrepresentation or a missing requirement can all make a person inadmissible. A TRP doesn’t erase that. It is a discretionary permit: the officer decides whether your reason to be in Canada outweighs the concern, for a limited time. IRPA says a TRP “may be cancelled at any time”. The request has to explain why you need to be here, why you are not a risk, and why the permit is justified.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, prepares temporary resident permit and rehabilitation applications for people who are inadmissible to Canada; this guide is by Sundeep S. Grewal.

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Who needs a temporary resident permit?

Anyone who is inadmissible to Canada, or doesn’t meet the requirements of the Act, and has no other way to overcome it in time. The most common reason is a criminal conviction, including impaired driving, where the person is not yet eligible for rehabilitation or can’t wait for a decision.

• People with a criminal record who need to come to Canada for work, family or another important reason.
• People already in Canada who have become inadmissible and need to stay.
• People refused entry at the border who need to return.

See our guide for Americans with a record who need a TRP.

TRP or rehabilitation?

They solve different problems. Rehabilitation removes criminal inadmissibility permanently. A TRP is temporary and discretionary. IRCC’s page says you may be eligible for a TRP if it has been “less than five years since the end of your sentence or you have valid reasons” to be in Canada.

Many people need both: a TRP to travel now, and rehabilitation once they are eligible, so the problem doesn’t come back at every trip. In some cases, after enough time has passed, a person may be deemed rehabilitated without applying. That depends on the offence and the dates, so check before relying on it.

How do I build a strong TRP request?

The officer weighs your need to be in Canada against the risk and the seriousness of the inadmissibility. A request that only says you want to visit rarely succeeds.

Checklist: a strong TRP request

• A clear purpose and dates: the meeting, the job, the family event, with proof.
• Court records showing the charge, conviction, sentence and that the sentence is complete.
• Police certificates for the places you have lived.
• Evidence you are not a risk: time since the offence, treatment or programs, employment, family and community ties, letters of support.
• A written explanation of the offence and what has changed, in your own words.
• Proof you will leave Canada when the permit ends.

What if I was refused a TRP?

You can apply again with a stronger request, or ask the Federal Court to review an unreasonable refusal. The deadline for judicial review is 15 days for a decision made in Canada and 60 days for one made outside Canada. If you made a refugee claim that was rejected or withdrawn, IRPA s. 24(4) bars a TRP request for 12 months. See our guide to judicial review of an immigration refusal.

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• reading your record and deciding whether you are inadmissible at all;
• choosing between a TRP, rehabilitation or both;
• a written submission on need and risk, with the right court documents;
• judicial review in the Federal Court if a TRP is unreasonably refused.

Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only lawyers can appear for you in the Federal Court.

Mistakes I have seen

• I have seen people arrive at the border without a TRP, assuming an old conviction no longer mattered, and be refused entry.
• I have seen TRP requests with a one-line purpose and no proof, refused on the need alone.
• I have seen people get a TRP for one trip and never apply for rehabilitation, so the same problem came back every time.
• I have seen people leave a charge off the forms, which turned a criminality problem into a misrepresentation problem.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a TRP valid?

For the period the officer sets on the permit, based on your purpose. It can be cancelled at any time.

Can I apply for a TRP at the border?

Sometimes, but applying in advance gives you time to prepare the request and avoids being refused at the port of entry. Get advice before you travel.

Does a TRP fix my record for future trips?

No. It covers the permit period only. Rehabilitation is the permanent solution once you are eligible.

Is a DUI enough to make me inadmissible?

Often, yes. Impaired driving is treated seriously under Canadian law. See our guides on a pending US DUI and reckless or negligent driving convictions.

Can a TRP lead to permanent residence?

In some cases, a person who holds TRPs continuously for long enough may be able to apply for permanent residence. It depends on the facts, so get advice.

Related guides

See our guides on TRPs for Americans with a record, being refused entry at a BC border crossing and a US cannabis conviction and entering Canada.

What should I do right now?

Get your court records and confirm when your sentence ended. Then decide, with advice, whether you need a TRP, rehabilitation or both, and apply well before you need to travel.

Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.

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Sources (official)

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 24 (current to October 19, 2026)
• IRCC: Overcome criminal convictions (modified July 23, 2026)
• IRCC fee list (modified November 10, 2026)

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.