How Long Does It Take to Get a Temporary Resident Permit for Canada?

Before you apply for a Canadian Temporary Resident Permit in order to overcome criminal inadmissibility, it is important to know if you have enough time before your scheduled trip to obtain advanced permission from the Government. Canada Temporary Resident Permit processing times can vary, and there is never a guarantee that your application will be processed before your date of travel. This being said, our immigration law firm helps a significant number of Americans apply for Temporary Resident Permit waivers each month, and consequently we have an excellent idea of the current TRP Canada processing time at any given moment.

If you are wondering whether or not you have enough time to acquire an advanced Canada TRP before your trip via a consulate or visa office, please phone us today for an approximation of the current Temporary Resident Permit application processing time (we offer free consultations). We have seen processing times vary from as low as 1-2 months to as high as 6-8 months, depending on a variety of factors including application volume. Please note: you should also consider the time required to obtain necessary documentation when determining if an advanced application is feasible.

Applying for TRP at Border

If you are inadmissible to Canada because of a DUI or other criminality, and you do not have enough time to get a Canadian Temporary Resident Permit in advance, you may be able to apply for an "emergency" TRP at the border. Such paperwork should always explain to border agents why you were unable to obtain an entry waiver before your trip due to the Canada TRP processing time. Some business travelers with exceptional circumstances may be able to request expedited processing at the Canadian consulate.

In certain cases, it can be smart to submit a TRP application to the consulate even if you need to drive or fly to Canada sooner than the processing time suggests it will ever be adjudicated. This strategy can help establish proof a traveler made an effort to obtain a Canada entry waiver before their trip, but were not able to because of the lengthy TRP processing times. If done effectively, an expedited Temporary Resident Permit application can reference such a consulate submission and border agents can even verify it by looking in their computer system.

If you are eligible for Criminal Rehabilitation and are not in a rush to enter Canada, you may have enough time to permanently fix your situation. Interested in the current Temporary Resident Permit Canada processing times or Criminal Rehabilitation processing times? Wonder how long it currently takes a US citizen to get a Temporary Resident Permit for Canada? Need to enter Canada speedily and want to learn how to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit at the border? Phone us today!