Canada is a generous country that allows foreigners to cross its borders for a variety of purposes. Canada recognizes the importance that immigrants play in the development of its society and economy. However, this does not mean that Canada does not protect its borders. In this regard, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has set out various situations that will cause you to be inadmissible to Canada. The major inadmissibilities to Canada are medical and criminal inadmissibility. The focus of these inadmissibilities is prohibiting individuals from entering or remaining in Canada who can pose a risk to Canada’s society and the people residing in Canada.
You will be considered criminally inadmissible if you have a past criminal conviction. If you have a past criminal conviction and need to come to Canada you can consider applying for a Temporary Resident Permit and/or Criminal Rehabilitation depending on the nature of your circumstances.
A Temporary Resident Permit is not just issued on a whim or to everyone that applies for a Temporary Resident Permit. Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s immigration officers will issue Temporary Resident Permits with caution and only in special circumstances.
An immigration officer will carefully consider the following factors before granting you a Temporary Resident Permit:
- A Temporary Resident Permit is a document that can provide the holder of the Permit greater privileges than a Visitor, Student and Worker with Temporary Resident status. For example, a Temporary Resident Permit allows for you to apply inland for a Work or Study Permit, and it may give you access to health and other social services.
- There is no discretion involved in granting Permanent Resident status if you meet the requirements of the Permit Holder class. If you remain continuously in Canada for the specified time and you do not become inadmissible on other grounds, you will be granted Permanent Residency.
Given the above privileges that a Temporary Resident Permit can offer you, an officer will review your Temporary Resident Permit application carefully before issuing you a Temporary Resident Permit.
If an officer decides to issue you a Temporary Resident Permit, they will grant you an initial permit for a maximum period of three years. They will also take into consideration the above factors when deciding to extend the validity of a Temporary Resident Permit for an additional two years.
At Akrami & Associates, our team of legal professionals has the skills, knowledge, and expertise to deal with your past convictions. We will put our best effort forward in finding a solution to overcome your criminal admissibility.