Foreign nationals may be inadmissible to Canada for various reasons even if they hold a visa or have obtained permanent residence. The most common ground for inadmissibility is on Criminality grounds, where the foreign national has been convicted of a crime either inside or outside of Canada.
If a foreign national convicted of a criminal offence does not qualify for rehabilitation, they can still apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) if they have a compelling reason why they need to enter Canada for a short time. TRP’s are usually issued for a short period of weeks or months, but in some cases may be issued for up to one year, at the discretion of the issuing officer. They allow those who are criminally inadmissible to enter Canada temporarily if they have some good reason for wanting to do so, and the immigration authorities assess them as being of low risk of re-offending while in Canada. Similar to Rehabilitation applications, officers will assess the seriousness of the crime and the behavior of the applicant since the criminal offence was committed to determine whether they believe it is safe to admit the applicant to Canada. TRP’s may be applied for through a Canadian visa office outside Canada, and may also be applied for at the port-of-entry, including at the airport or land border between Canada and the United States.
It should be noted that TRP’s may be issued to those who are inadmissible to Canada for other reasons than criminal inadmissibility. A TRP can be issued to admit into Canada anyone who would ordinarily not be eligible for a visa or is otherwise unauthorized to enter or to remain in the country, provided that there is some compelling reason why the TRP should be granted.
If you need to enter or remain in Canada for a temporary permit even though you are inadmissible, please contact us so that we can discuss your options