What is a Temporary Residence in Canada?

Canada welcomes up to 35 million temporary residents each year. Temporary residences are for individuals who wish to enter Canada and are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Depending upon your eligibility you may enter Canada through several options. They can be either for study, work, business or even visiting your loved ones in Canada. After meeting all the requirements for the temporary residence you will achieve temporary resident status by achieving a temporary resident visa. Depending upon your case obtaining a temporary resident visa can take from two to three business weeks.


Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) Types 

Visit Visa or Temporary resident visa (TRV):

A temporary resident visa (TRV) or commonly known as a visit visa or visitor visa is for individuals who wish to visit Canada on an interim basis. It is issued by relevant Canadian high commission, Canadian Embassy, or the Canadian Consulate. One has both options, either to apply online on their own through MYCIC account or authorized representatives i.e. Immigration Consultants or Immigration Lawyers, or apply on paper application through VFS global near them. A temporary resident visa (TRV) usually lasts for about six months from the day of entry. Obtaining a visitor visa or TRV is simple and requires only filling out an application. Some countries are exempt from applying for a TRV and have to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA instead. Applicants may choose to opt for a single-entry visa or multiple-entry visa. Processing can take from 2 days to 4 weeks approximately. 

Applicants who wish to enter Canada can apply for a temporary resident visa at any port of entry. They must be able to legitimately convince a visa officer of the purpose of their entry and that they will leave as soon as their visa expires. To apply for a temporary resident visa a TRV application must be filled out. A temporary resident visa is also known as a visitor visa. The application can often be rejected due to a minute detail so it must be filled out prudently and well ahead of time before you intend to visit. In case of refusal of your application, you may re-apply. Some countries are exempt from obtaining a temporary resident visa before entering Canada and have to obtain an electronic travel authorization instead. Applicants can opt for either 

(a) Single-entry visa OR

(b) Multiple-entry visa.

Processing time may take a few days up to weeks varying from one visa office to another.


Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA):

Individuals who are nationals of “visa-exempt countries” and wish to travel to Canada temporarily can enter Canada by electronic travel authorization or eTA.  This is an online process that requires payment of CA$7 before boarding a flight to Canada and takes a few minutes. However, some circumstances do not require an eTA such as:

(a) Visitors who will be arriving by land or sea and are nationals of visa-exempt countries.

(b) Permanent Resident of Canada. However, they must have their permanent resident cards with them.

(c) US citizens.

(d) Travelers holding a valid Canadian Visa.

(e) Travelers making an unscheduled stop in Canada.


Super Visa

 A super visa allows parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to visit Canada for specified periods. A super visa will allow entry to Canada for 2 years. To be eligible for this visa parents/grandparents must have an invitation from the Canadian person they will be visiting. The child/grandchild must show proof of sufficient funds to be able to invite his/her parent/grandparent. All applicants visiting Canada must go through a medical check-up, show police certificates, and requires producing insurance from a Canadian Insurance Provider of a minimum of CAD$ 100,000 for one year.


Study Permit

A study permit is a legitimate permission to study in Canada for either a short course, vocational training, academic degree, or professional training that lasts at least 6 months. To obtain a study permit you must apply to a designated institution and obtain a letter of acceptance. After receiving an offer letter, an application for a study permit and a temporary resident visa is applied, allowing one to enter Canada for studies and remain in Canada until the study is complete. You will have to go through medical check-ups and provide clean criminal records with your application as per requirements.

International students:

Students wishing to study in Canada need to obtain a temporary resident visa to commence their studies. They must first apply for a study permit and then a temporary resident visa. Study permits can be applied for academic, vocational training, or professional training which exceeds six months at a verified and designated learning institution in Canada. The following do not require a study permit:

(a) Minors.

(b) Family members of foreign representatives.

(c) Members of the armed forces visiting Canada.

(d) Registered Indians.

(e) Individuals taking part in short-term courses.


 Work Permit

A work permit allows you to work in Canada. Nationals of other countries must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer to be eligible for a work permit and eventually a temporary resident visa. You may eligible for either an (a) open work permit or (b) employer-specific permit. Open-work permits are for foreign nationals who may be exempt from the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).  These can be applied outside Canada or at any port of entry. An Employer-specific permit permits you to work under specific conditions such as the name of the employer you may work for, the duration you are allowed to work for, and the location you are allowed to work at. 

Foreign workers will need a work permit before applying for a temporary resident visa. Foreign workers are eligible to migrate to Canada for work under the following programs:

Temporary Foreign Worker Program:

A temporary foreign worker program requires employers to obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before hiring any foreign worker on a work permit.  

International Mobility Program:

The International Mobility program does not require employers to obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). International Mobility Program is also known as LMIA exempt job offer stream. 

This category is for people who:

  • Have the requisite skills to be employed by a Canadian employer.
  • Intend to be self-employed and qualify under Canadian Immigration rules.

However, the following conditions do not categorize as “work”:

(a) Volunteer work.

(b) Self-employment has no impact on the labor market.

(c) Short-term educational exchanges.

(d) Unremunerated help by a family member during his/her visit.

Work permits are to be applied outside of Canada however in some situations a work permit can be obtained at a port of entry POE. Workers who are nationals of visa-exempt countries will not require a temporary resident visa.


Business Visit

A business visit allows you to explore opportunities to invest and grow your business in Canada. Depending upon your eligibility you may either need an eTA or visitor visa for your business trip. If you come to Canada on a visit visa you must show a letter of invitation by a business partner settled in Canada and your trip must not exceed 6 months. Your business visit will be merely for business activities and not for entering the Canadian labor market. You must also be able to show proof of an established business outside of Canada. As per requirements, you must show police certificates along with medical certificates before your business visit.


Documents required for any Temporary Resident Visa:

  • An application.
  • Photos.
  • Proof of Financial support.
  • Work/Study permits.
  • Other Requisites:
  • Police certificates: all documents showing that you have a clean criminal record.
  • Medical certificates: all health certificates showing you suffer from no serious illness and are medically sound to enter Canada.

Duration of a Temporary Resident Visa:

The duration of your visa will vary from category to category and whether you opt for a single time entry or multiple ones.  An expiry date will be mentioned in your passport on your visa counterfoil. If not, your temporary resident visa expires six months from the day you arrive in Canada. If you want to increase your stay you must apply 30 days before the expiry of your status as a temporary resident.

Want to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) of any type, Team The Visa Canada can help you. Our professional team has years of experience in such an application and can fulfill all your immigration needs. Need further information on the aforementioned programs, want to explore further about temporary resident visa (TRV), or want to invite your loved ones to come to Canada and stay with you for a limited time, The Visa Canada team can help you!

If you would like to know more, you may call +1 647 294 6631 or email info@TheVisaCanada.ca or message us using the contact form below.