Applying for Temporary Resident Permit TRP

What is TRP?

Temporary Resident Permit is a permit granted to those who cannot enter Canada either due to health or security reasons. Persons who have been convicted of an offence such as DUI, assault charge, felony, theft, or any other such offences that can go back over 20 years ago can apply for TRP. TRP helps the person overcome their inadmissibility on temporary basis and is a viable option for individuals with urgent travel needs. So if you are applying for Temporary Resident Permit TRP then this blog is for you.

Why are persons with criminal or health issues granted a TRP?

TRPs are issued for those applicants who have compelling reasons to enter Canada. For example, you have an important business meeting in Canada or you have a relative that is ill or has wedding date coming up. So your presence in Canada must outweigh any possible risk to Canadian citizens.

Who Should Apply to Get TRPs?

Temporary Resident Permit is for persons who are not eligible for criminal rehabilitation and have an urgent travel date coming up. So if you were convicted of serious charges and five years have not elapsed since probation, fine or a sentence you had to serve then TRP is for you. Remember you must have compelling reasons to enter Canada for the immigration officer to issue a temporary permit to Canada.

Where to Apply for TRP?

TRPs can be obtained at the port of entry, Canadian land border or airport customs; when a TRP application is submitted to the port of entry, the applicant will be asked to proceed to the secondary inspection (away from the standard traffic line) then the application will be reviewed. The decision (approval or refusal) is usually released within an hour or two. If approved, the applicant will be allowed to enter Canada right after. However, it is possible that the application will be denied and the applicant is forced to return to his home country directly from the border. To get a same day decision on your TRP you must come from visa-exempt country such as United States. If you do not have an urgent travel date and are afraid to face the immigration officer at the border you can simply submit your application at the consulate level and wait 8-12 months for processing. If you come from non-visa exempt country such Pakistan and you have criminal record then unfortunately you can only apply at consulate level. TRPs are issued under discretion of immigration officers, they will decide if the applicant entitles the permit based on the documents provided by him.

What May Hinder TRPs?

• How many crimes the applicant has in his records?
• How serious each offence was?
• Why he committed the offences?
• How have the applicant changed since he committed the offence?
• Why is he not likely to re-offend?
• What are his present circumstances?
• Is he receiving any support from the community, how?
• Why the applicant believes he is rehabilitated now?

If an application is refused, the applicant may not enter Canada without applying for Criminal Rehabilitation when he is eligible.

Can TRP Holders Continue to Stay in Canada?

Temporary Resident Permits are valid for a limited amount of time which can range from one day and up to maximum of three years and will display an issue and expiration date. It is the immigration officer who determines the length of validity of permit by reviewing the application and determining if the need for the person to be in Canada outweighs the risks on Canadian citizens.

Can I apply for TRP Extension?

• It is not possible to “extend” a Temporary Resident Permit. If the TRP holder wishes to stay in Canada longer than the validity of the TRP, he must apply for another Temporary Resident Permit.
• A TRP holder in Canada, who wishes to work or study, may apply for a work permit or study permit only if the TRP is valid for longer than six months and must meet the requirements for the application they are applying for.
• If application for a new TRP is still in process and the applicant’s previous TRP expires, while he is still in Canada, he may remain in Canada until he receives the decision for the new TRP application. If the application is approved, he may remain in Canada; if refused, he must leave Canada immediately.

Why Some TRP Renewal Applications are Refused?

The following circumstances, may cause an application for TRP to be refused:

• The criminal offence occurred very recently
• The officer assumes the TRP holder is likely to re-offend
• The TRP holder does not comply with the conditions of the previous TRP such as over staying in Canada after the previous TRP expired
• The TRP holder left and re-entered Canada without obtaining a TRP (even though it is the mistake of the border officer to let him into Canada, it is still the permit holder’s obligation not to enter)
• The visa holder becomes inadmissible to Canada for reasons other than the ones he initially used to apply for the previous TRP
• He worked or studied in Canada without a valid work or study permit
• The visa holder’s passport has already expired or is expiring soon
• The applicant has not resolved the situation that caused the inadmissibility even if he was advised to do so by CIC

What Documents are needed to be Submitted for Obtaining TRP?

• Receipt of government fee payment
• Applicant’s passport size photos
• Copies of Photo ID
• Copies of any previous Canadian status documents
• Court documents Regarding the conviction (s)
• Reference letters from present employer or study place, friends and relatives
• Purpose of travel to Canada
• Why you should be allowed into Canada- personal statement letter

Can a Permit Holder Change His Status to be a Permanent Resident?

• The applicant should have lived in Canada and have collected all documents required to prove that he has lived in Canada as a permit holder for three or five years.
• TRP holders with medical inadmissibility are eligible for permanent residence after three continuous years staying in Canada.
• TRP holders inadmissible on grounds of an accompanying family member are eligible for permanent residence after 3 continuous years in Canada.
• TRP holders with inadmissibility other than security, violation of human or international rights, serious criminality and organized criminality are eligible for permanent residence after five years of continuous residence in Canada.

Contact Akrami & Associates

Have you recently travelled to Canada and were denied entry by an immigration officer at the port of entry? If this is your case Akrami & Associates can help you overcome your past criminal record by preparing you Temporary Resident Permit application for urgent travel needs or assisting with Criminal Rehabilitation application to overcome your inadmissibility on permanent basis. Our immigration experts have assisted a number of clients with successful entry into Canada. Contact us today at 416-477-2545 for more information. With Akrami & Associates There is Always a Way!