Temporary resident permit [section R298 and subsection A24(1)]
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Processing and collection of fee: Fee list
The temporary resident permit (TRP) processing fee must be collected before the officer starts their assessment. If the processing fee is not paid, the TRP cannot be assessed.
For further clarification, please see the TRP processing fee procedures section for inside and outside Canada below.
The TRP fee is non-refundable.
The officer must also collect a fee when issuing a TRP at the request of the minister, unless otherwise instructed.
When the applicant completes their online fee payment, an Integrated Payment Revenue Management System (IPRMS) receipt is electronically generated. The IPRMS receipt number is entered into the Global Case Management System (GCMS) under the client’s application and the payment is allocated.
Note: Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), there is no provision for the “extension” of temporary resident permits. As the expiry date for a TRP approaches, the client is expected to apply for a new or subsequent permit and pay the associated fee if they wish to extend their stay in Canada. A TRP is not intended to provide continuous status for long periods of time, especially if the inadmissibility or non-compliance can be resolved and regular temporary resident status achieved.
On this page
- Fee exemptions
- Public policy fee exemptions
- One-time fee exemption for certain foreign nationals who are inadmissible for subsection A36(2) criminality, excluding those convicted of child pornography or any sexual offences
- Fee exemptions for victims of trafficking in persons (VTIP TRP), for victims of family violence (FMV TRP), and for foreign nationals who were in state care
- Public policy fee exemptions
- TRP processing fee procedures
Fee exemptions
Note: A fee should be collected each time a request for a TRP is received, unless an exemption has been identified. When a fee exemption applies, the appropriate fee exemption code and details referencing subsection R298(2) or the applicable public policy should be entered into GCMS.
Please note that the fee exemption specific to paragraph R296(2)(d) applies only to work or study permit applications outside Canada, when a TRP counterfoil is issued instead of a TRV counterfoil.
For TRPs issued under the Urgent Protection Program (UPP) for refugees overseas, please refer to UPP.
Public policy fee exemptions
Where an officer is of the opinion that it would be justified in the circumstances for an inadmissible foreign national to become a temporary resident, a TRP may be issued to enable the foreign national to enter and/or remain in Canada under subsection A24(1).
Section A25.2(2) authorizes the Minister or delegated officers to grant an exemption from the payment of applicable fees where the minister is of the opinion that public policy considerations warrant it. Examples of public policies that grant fee exemptions for TRPs are provided below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and may be outdated. Please refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Public policies for current public policies that may include fee exemptions for TRPs.
One-time fee exemption for certain foreign nationals who are inadmissible for subsection A36(2) criminality, excluding those convicted of child pornography or any sexual offences
A public policy was approved with respect to the entry of foreign nationals who are inadmissible on subsection A36(2) criminality grounds. Specifically, the policy allows the granting of a one-time fee exemption for a TRP for certain offences. The public policy fee exemption does not apply to persons convicted of child pornography or sexual offences.
Background
On January 13, 2012, the Minister issued the public policy considerations as per A25.2 that in his opinion justify the granting of a one-time exemption from the TRP processing fee that is required under subsection 298(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) for foreign nationals who meet the conditions of this public policy.
Where an officer is of the opinion that it would be justified in the circumstances for an inadmissible foreign national to become a temporary resident, a TRP may be issued to enable the foreign national to enter and/or remain in Canada under subsection A24(1). Section A25.2(2) authorizes the Minister or delegated officers to grant an exemption from the payment of applicable fees where the Minister is of the opinion that public policy considerations warrant it.
Instructions
As of March 1, 2012, the 1 time only public policy exemption would apply to a foreign national to whom a TRP is being issued at a port of entry (POE) or a visa office abroad, who is inadmissible solely on the grounds of “criminality” under subsection A36(2), and who
- was convicted of an offence, not including child pornography or any sexual offence, and received no term of imprisonment as part of the sentence imposed
- has had no other convictions or committed any other acts that would render them inadmissible
This authority has been delegated to IRCC officers outside Canada and to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers in their immigration functions for POE examinations only. This public policy does not apply to foreign nationals who are already in Canada.
A foreign national who is granted a TRP and meets the 2 conditions listed above may be eligible for a fee exemption. This fee exemption is available to those who meet the criteria even if they have been issued a TRP in the past.
The delegated authority should check GCMS to ensure the one-time fee-exempt TRP (cost recovery code M31) has not already been granted. The delegated authority should counsel the foreign national that the next time they seek to enter Canada, the fee exemption will not apply, and that they should look into potential mechanisms to overcome their inadmissibility.
When issuing a TRP in these circumstances, the cost recovery code M31 on the TRP screen in GCMS is to be used. This code will automatically generate the following information on the TRP: one-time fee exemption/cic.gc.ca.
Fee exemptions for victims of trafficking in persons (VTIP TRP), for victims of family violence (FMV TRP), and for foreign nationals who were in state care
For further information on fee exemptions for VTIP TRPs, please visit Temporary resident permits (TRPs): Considerations specific to victims of trafficking in persons.
For further information on fee exemptions for FMV TRPs, please visit Temporary resident permit (TRP) for victims of family violence.
Note: Please note that if a TRP holder is eligible to apply for an open work permit, the open work permit privilege fee does not apply to work permits issued with a TRP under paragraph R208(b) and should not be charged.
Temporary resident permit processing fee procedures
Outside Canada
There is no standalone TRP application for foreign nationals outside of Canada. When an applicant makes an immigration application outside Canada and it is determined that the applicant is inadmissible, the application may be refused.
In some cases, an applicant may have requested TRP consideration with their immigration application. When the TRP fee or fees are not submitted with the immigration application, IRCC is to contact the client to pay the TRP fee(s) and to submit any other documents in support of the TRP request. The fee or fees are required before the TRP request can be assessed by IRCC. Applicants should be made aware that payment of the TRP processing fee does not guarantee TRP issuance. Officers should only proceed with TRP assessment after the TRP processing fee is received and a TRP file is created.
If an applicant advises that they are unable or unwilling to pay the TRP processing fee, they should be advised that their TRP request can’t be processed. Officers should note this fact in the GCMS notes of the underlying immigration application and can proceed with a decision on that application if one has not already been made.
In other cases, if the client did not request TRP consideration with their immigration application, an officer may determine on their own initiative that issuing a TRP may be warranted in the circumstances. In this case, they may contact the applicant to offer the possibility of TRP consideration.
In any case, the TRP processing fee must be collected before a client can be assessed for a TRP.
Note: Unless applicants qualify for 1 of the TRP fee exemptions listed in subsection R298(2), they are required to pay the TRP processing fee.
TRP fee exemption with work or study permit application for individuals identified under paragraph R298(2)(a)
As per paragraph R298(2)(a), those referred to in paragraph 296(2)(d) who apply for a TRV at the same time and place as a work or study permit are exempt from paying the TRP fee. This only applies when an inadmissible person identified under paragraph R298(2)(a) applies for a work or study permit outside of Canada, and they are issued a TRP counterfoil instead of a TRV counterfoil as a result of their inadmissibility. Only the work or study permit application fees will be collected. This exemption does not apply to TRP issuance inside Canada.
Inside Canada
Applications for a TRP in Canada must be submitted to the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton (CPC-E). Applications for a victim of family violence or trafficking in persons TRP must be submitted to the Vulnerable Persons Unit of the Humanitarian and Identity Operations Branch. TRP applications for foreign nationals who were in state care must be submitted to the Humanitarian Migration Office in Vancouver.
For TRP applications sent directly to CPC-E (where a fee exemption does not apply), the processing fee must accompany the application or it will be rejected as incomplete. In circumstances where a TRP is considered as a result of a subsection A44(1) report, the processing fee will be requested before the recommendation for a TRP is sent to the Minister’s delegate.
Port of entry (POE)
For instructions on processing fee procedures at the port of entry (POE) see ENF 4 (PDF, 1.87 KB).
Temporary inability or refusal to pay
Outside Canada, if an applicant advises that they are unable or unwilling to pay the TRP processing fee, they should be advised that their TRP request can’t be processed. Officers should note this fact in the GCMS notes of the underlying immigration application and can proceed with a decision on that application if one has not already been made.
In Canada, TRP applications must be submitted with the appropriate fees unless the applicant is otherwise exempt. Applications submitted without the fee will be returned as incomplete. There is no authority to accept a request for consideration of a TRP unless the fee has been paid.
At the port of entry, the client will be advised to withdraw their request to enter Canada and return if or when they are able to pay the required fee.