TRP vs Criminal Rehabilitation: Which Do You Need?
A Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) under IRPA s.24(1) lets you enter Canada despite a criminal record, with no waiting period, but it expires. Criminal Rehabilitation under IRPA s.36(3)(c) opens 5 years after your whole sentence ends and, once approved, removes the ground of inadmissibility. They are separate applications, and neither rule excludes the other. An officer decides each one.
$246.25
IRCC’s Temporary Resident Permit fee, per person
$246.25
IRCC’s Criminal Rehabilitation fee, non-serious criminality
$1,231
IRCC’s Criminal Rehabilitation fee, serious criminality
Over a year
How long IRCC says rehabilitation applications can take
IRCC’s guide 5312 says processing fees are not refundable regardless of the final decision, and the TRP fee is not refunded if IRCC refuses. The Fee Calculator shows the current amounts.
What is the core difference?
- TRP (IRPA s.24(1))
- A temporary, discretionary permission to enter or stay in Canada for a specific purpose and period despite being inadmissible. There is no minimum wait. A single TRP can be valid for up to 3 years, but it expires, is no longer valid once you leave Canada unless it states that it is valid for re-entry, may be cancelled at any time, and does not resolve the underlying inadmissibility.
- Criminal Rehabilitation (IRPA s.36(3)(c))
- An application that, if approved, removes the ground of criminal inadmissibility under s.36 for the offences it covers. Once granted, a person can generally seek entry to Canada without a TRP, subject to all other admissibility requirements. Criminal Rehabilitation generally requires that 5 years have passed since completion of the full sentence, and IRCC says applications can take over a year to process.
How do they compare side by side?
| Factor | TRP | Criminal Rehabilitation |
|---|---|---|
| IRPA authority | s.24(1) | s.36(3)(c) |
| Minimum wait from sentence completion | None, can apply immediately | Generally 5 years |
| Processing time | IRCC publishes no processing time for a TRP | IRCC says applications can take over a year |
| Duration | Up to 3 years per TRP | Removes the ground of inadmissibility once approved |
| Eligible inadmissibility types | Any IRPA inadmissibility (criminal, health, security) | Criminal inadmissibility only (s.36) |
| Serious criminality eligible? | Yes | Yes (after 5 years) |
| Decision-maker | CBSA officer (port of entry) or IRCC officer (visa office) | Usually the local office manager; the Minister for more serious offences |
| What it proves | Compelling need to enter Canada that outweighs the risk to Canadian society | That you have been rehabilitated |
The rule
A TRP has no minimum waiting period, but it expires, may be cancelled at any time, and does not remove the underlying inadmissibility.
When does a TRP fit?
There is no mandatory waiting period. Applied Criminal Rehabilitation generally becomes available only after 5 years have passed from the day the entire sentence was completed, so until then a TRP is usually the only formal pathway to seek entry.
Officers generally weigh the need to enter against the risk to Canadian society. IRCC issues TRPs only for compelling reasons, and there is no guarantee.
There is no separate TRP application outside Canada. If you need a visa, you request TRP consideration as part of your visa, study permit or work permit application. If you need an eTA, or you are a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, you send IRCC a web form for instructions (US requests go to the visa office in Los Angeles); at a port of entry, you tell the officer you want TRP consideration.
When does Criminal Rehabilitation fit?
"Sentence completed" typically means all fines paid, any prison term and parole finished, all probation finished, and all driving prohibitions ended. The 5-year period generally runs from the last of these to be completed, not from the conviction date.
Once granted, Criminal Rehabilitation removes the ground of criminal inadmissibility for the offences it covers. Future trips to Canada generally would not require a TRP for that criminal inadmissibility, and all other admissibility requirements still apply.
Criminal inadmissibility generally has to be addressed before or during a permanent residence (PR) application. A TRP allows temporary entry but does not, by itself, remove inadmissibility for PR purposes.
What does each one cost?
| Fee item | TRP | Criminal Rehabilitation |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee (non-serious criminality) | $246.25 CAD per person, per TRP | $246.25 CAD (one time) |
| Government fee (serious criminality) | $246.25 CAD per person, per TRP | $1,231 CAD (one time) |
| Biometrics | $85 CAD (if applicable) | $85 CAD (if applicable) |
| Frequency | Each application (validity up to 3 years) | Once, if approved |
Each TRP carries its own government fee and can be valid for up to 3 years, so several TRP cycles over many years can add up to more than a single Criminal Rehabilitation application. Professional representation fees are separate and vary.
Can you seek both, and who decides each?
A TRP and Criminal Rehabilitation are separate applications under separate provisions (IRPA s.24 and s.36(3)(c)), and neither provision excludes the other. A TRP can cover a trip while a rehabilitation application waits for a decision. A pending rehabilitation application does not by itself allow entry.
Each is decided on its own terms. A TRP is issued at an officer’s discretion. Rehabilitation is decided by the local office manager for less serious offences, and by the Minister for more serious ones.
After rehabilitation is approved, IRCC says you still need to meet the requirements for entry as a temporary or permanent resident.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Admissibility ExplorerThe IRPA admissibility grounds, one question at a time
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What is criminal rehabilitation in Canada?
Criminal Rehabilitation is an application under IRPA s.36(3)(c) that, if approved, removes the ground of criminal inadmissibility for the offences it covers. You can apply once at least 5 years have passed since you completed your whole sentence, including fines, probation and any driving prohibition. The local office manager usually decides, or the Minister for more serious offences. Other admissibility rules still apply. Our Criminal Rehabilitation page explains the application and the evidence officers weigh.
TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation: which is better?
Neither is simply better, because they do different jobs. A TRP has no waiting period but is temporary and does not remove the inadmissibility. Criminal Rehabilitation removes the ground of inadmissibility but opens only 5 years after the sentence ends, and IRCC says it can take over a year to process. Where rehabilitation is open, it is the lasting route, and a TRP can cover travel in the meantime. Our Temporary Resident Permit page covers the permit side.
Can I apply for a TRP and Criminal Rehabilitation at the same time?
They are separate applications under separate provisions (IRPA s.24 and s.36(3)(c)), and neither provision excludes the other. A TRP can allow entry while rehabilitation waits for a decision, which IRCC says can take over a year. If less than five years has passed, IRCC's rehabilitation application page says you can fill out the form and check "For Information Only", and an officer will decide if you can get special permission to come to Canada temporarily. Our How to Apply for Criminal Rehabilitation guide walks through the application.
Is Criminal Rehabilitation more expensive than a TRP?
It depends on the offence and how often you travel. For serious criminality, such as impaired driving on or after December 18, 2018, the rehabilitation fee is $1,231 CAD against $246.25 CAD per person for a TRP. For non-serious criminality, rehabilitation is $246.25 CAD and a TRP is $246.25 CAD. Each TRP lasts at most 3 years, so repeat permits can cost more over time. Our Fee Calculator shows the current IRCC amounts.
Can I enter Canada while my Criminal Rehabilitation application is pending?
Not on the pending application alone, because it does not make you admissible. You need a valid TRP, or to be deemed rehabilitated under the published criteria, or you wait until rehabilitation is approved. If you must travel before a decision, a TRP is the route to ask about, and an officer decides. Our Rehabilitation Calculator shows how the waiting periods are counted.
Does deemed rehabilitation make a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation unnecessary?
Sometimes. Deemed rehabilitation needs no application, but an officer checks that you meet the conditions. It generally covers a single non-serious offence once 10 years have passed since the sentence was completed. It never covers serious criminality. A person who is deemed rehabilitated may not need a TRP or an application for that offence. The rules are technical, and an officer makes the final call at the border or visa office. Our Deemed Rehabilitation guide sets out the conditions under IRPR s.18.
Is a DUI considered serious criminality for these pathways?
Yes, if it was committed on or after December 18, 2018. Impaired operation under Criminal Code s.320.14 then carries a 10-year maximum (s.320.19), which is serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1). Deemed rehabilitation does not cover serious criminality, so the usual routes are a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation 5 years after the sentence ends. An officer assesses the equivalency. Our DUI guide covers older offences, which follow the penalties in force at the time.
Can a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation be refused even if I meet the conditions?
Yes, both can. A TRP is discretionary: an officer weighs your need to enter against the risk to Canadian society and can decline even when you meet the basic conditions. Criminal Rehabilitation is granted only where the decision-maker is satisfied you have been rehabilitated (IRPA s.36(3)(c)), and it can be refused. Neither has a set outcome. Our Admissibility Explorer shows which IRPA grounds a record may touch.
Part of:Criminal recordTemporary resident permit
- Denied Entry to Canada: What to Do Next
- Expunged Record & Canada Entry
- Can I Enter Canada with Dismissed or Dropped Charges?
The textbook on this subject
Volume 1: Entering Canada $79
Six IRPA inadmissibility grounds (s.36 and s.38 to s.42), explained with the official text cited.
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This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.