Grounds for refusal include past criminal offences, health risks to Canadians, lack of financial resources to visit Canada, presenting fraudulent documents at the border, misrepresentation and other breaches of the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act.
Certain individuals may be able to overcome an inadmissibility right at the border if they can put forth compelling reasons why they should be allowed to enter Canada. Specifically, U.S. citizens and individuals from visa exempt countries can request a Temporary Resident Permit on social, economic or humanitarian grounds at any border crossing.
The most common inadmissibility that triggers the need to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit is the existence of a prior criminal record. Canada’s laws on restricting entry for individuals with prior criminal records are very strict. For example, a person charged or convicted of driving under the influence is inadmissible to Canada until they have been Criminally Rehabilitated, which is a separate application. Since Criminal Rehabilitation applications can take up to a year to process, a Temporary Resident Permit can act as a bridge until the inadmissibility issues are resolved.
For individuals with prior criminal offences:
For individuals with a medical inadmissibility:
Temporary Resident Permit applications can be submitted to Canadian consulates abroad or, for U.S. citizens and visa exempt passport holders, an application can be made at the border. The upside to applying at the border is the instant adjudication of file, though it carries the risk of being refused, forcing the application to return to their country of origin. The downside of applying at the consulate is the long processing times that can run over six months.
Visitors to Canada who suspect they might encounter an inadmissibility issue should contact an experienced immigration lawyer as early as possible prior to their scheduled visit to Canada.
Back to All Personal Immigration
Get in touch with us
Do you need help navigating your Canadian immigration?
Book a Consultation
Copyright © 2024 Borders Law firm This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Privacy Policy | Disclaimer