Temporary Residence

Canadian Temporary Residence Programs

JUMP TO SECTION: Study Permit | Work Permit

Temporary Resident Visa

In most cases, foreign nationals require both a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and status document to enter Canada as a temporary resident. Whether you would like to work, study or visit Canada, your application must establish three fundamental factors: your purpose in Canada; the funds available for your stay; and the ties to your home country. 

A visitor visa often referred to as a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), is an official document inserted into your passport. This is not a status document, but an entry document and to enter Canada, you must provide this document. A TRV is often multi-entry and allows you to travel to Canada throughout its validity. They can be issued for up to 10 years.

To be eligible for a TRV, you must:

• ​Have a valid travel document

• Be admissible to Canada

• Convince an office you will leave Canada at the end of your studies by providing evidence of your ties to your home country (for example employment, property, financial assets, family)

• Have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need must be reasonable for your planned length of stay in Canada

While most visitors to Canada will require TRV, some nationalities are visa-exempt and will not need to apply for this document. If you are visa-exempt, and you wish to fly or transit through a Canadian airport, you will instead apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Though you will not receive any physical document from an eTA approval, you will receive a confirmation email to notify you of the approval and an eTA number.  You do not need to provide this as the eTA is linked to the passport you applied with and will be valid for five years or until your passport expiry. If your passport expires, you will need to apply for a new eTA.

​Visitors who have obtained a valid TRV in their passport or an eTA will usually be granted a stay of 6 months on entry to Canada, as determined by a Canadian border official. A border official may do one of the following:​

1. Stamp your passport and write an expiry date. If they do not write an expiry date, your visitor status is valid for six months

2. Provide you with a visitor record, which will show the expiry date of your visitor status

3. Allow you to enter with no stamp or visitor record. In this scenario, your visitor status will be valid for six months.

Even if your TRV is valid for one year or more, your visitor status will likely only be issued for a maximum of 6 months. You must ensure you leave the country or seek to extend your status before the expiry date determined by the Canadian border official. 

Study Permit

Most foreign nationals that wish to travel to Canada to attend a Canadian school will require a study permit. If your program is less than six months or you are a minor, you may not require a study permit in Canada. A study permit will usually be issued for the length of your program, plus an additional 90 days, which will allow you time to extend your stay or return to your home country. 

To be eligible for a study permit, you must:

• Enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI). You will not be able to obtain a study permit to attend a course or program that is not from a DLI. 

• Show proof that you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees, living expenses for you and your family and return transportation

• Be admissible to Canada 

• Convince an office you will leave Canada at the end of your studies by providing evidence of your ties to your home country (for example employment, property, financial assets, family)

In most cases, an initial study permit must be applied for at an outside visa office unless you meet an exemption to apply within Canada or at a Canadian port of entry. This means, even if you are in Canada as a visitor, your initial study permit will not be processed at a Canadian visa office in Canada. If your application is approved, you will receive a Port of Entry Letter of Introduction and a visa, if you are from a visa required country. You must show this letter to officials at the port of entry when you arrive in Canada to obtain your study permit.

Work Permit

Foreign nationals wishing to work in Canada will usually require a work permit unless they meet the exemption as a business visitor.  There are two types of work permits available to foreign nationals: open work permits and employer-specific (closed) permits. An open work permit allows you to enter Canada and work for any employer in Canada (except those who are considered ineligible employers). An employer-specific work permit allows you to only work for the employer and location listed on your permit. For more details on employer-specific work permits, visit our corporate page.

You may be eligible for an open work permit if one of the following applies to you:

•  Are an international student who has graduated and is eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP)

• Are a student who is no longer able to meet the costs of their studies (destitute student)

• Applied for permanent residence in Canada or are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence

• Are the spouse or common-law partner of an applicant of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, or skilled worker, or international student

• Are a refugee, refugee claimant, protected person or their family member

• Are under an unenforceable removal order

• Are a temporary resident permit holder

• Are a young worker participating in special programs such as International Experience Canada
  

Regardless of which type of work permit you apply for (open or employer-specific), you must:

• Be admissible to Canada

• Show proof that you have enough money to provide for you and your family members during your stay in Canada and return home

• Not plan to work for an ineligible employer

• Meet all the eligibility requirements for the type of work permit you are applying for 

Generally, most work permits will be issued before entry to Canada, unless you meet an exemption to apply within Canada or at a Canadian port of entry. You may also require a TRV to enter Canada.