Temporary Resident Permits (TRP) in Canada: Case Type Codes

Julie, a citizen of France, is inadmissible to Canada because of a criminal history. However, she received a TRP to travel to Canada for special medical treatment. Toronto General Hospital, the fifth-best hospital in the world, will take care of Julie’s treatment. Her Temporary Resident Permit reflects code 85. Julie wonders what this code means. She also wants to know more about possibly remaining in Canada after her treatment.

What are temporary resident permits (TRPs)?

You need a permit to remain in Canada if you are a foreign national. The typical permits for foreign nationals include (1) work permits; (2) study permits; and (3) visitor records. Many visitors won’t receive an explicit permit upon entry. However, they receive, what I call, an implicit visitor record. I have another article that explains this matter in more detail. Some foreign nationals may stay in Canada because of the following reasons:

• They are refugee claimants.
• Canada has offered them protection.
• They are subject to an unenforceable removal order.

If someone is legally in Canada and does not fall under any of the previous groups, they are most likely here via receiving a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP). You may obtain a TRP at a port of entry. A CBSA officer reviews your application for entry and issues you a TRP. Nonetheless, they must ensure that you are inadmissible to Canada, but the reasons for travelling to Canada outweigh the reasons for inadmissibility.

Many TRP applicants submit their applications before entering Canada. However, some of them request a TRP after entry. The main reason for requesting a TRP is inadmissibility to Canada, but sometimes you may ask for a TRP after applying for permanent residency. Also, if a person is potentially inadmissible, they may request a temporary resident permit. An example is those who overstay in Canada beyond the 90-day window for a Restoration application.

Types of temporary resident permits: understanding the case type codes

Generally speaking, a person may receive a TRP under one of the following three groups:

• Permanent residence (PR) applicants
• Failed PR applicants
• Temporary residence applicants

Immigration authorities assign special case-type codes to each group. You may locate these codes on the TRP document and GCMS records. The latter refers to the database immigration authorities use. The following image shows a TRP partially. As you can see, the Case Type code for this TRP is 80.

You may also like to know that if you apply outside Canada, you won’t receive the TRP immediately. IRCC usually issues a visa counterfoil that includes one of the following codes:

• PA-1: Permit holder
• PAX-1: National interest TRP
• PC-1: Permit holder with a valid TRP (only if you already hold a valid TRP)

If you are visa-exempt, you usually receive a one-time eTA to allow you to travel to Canada. Regardless of receiving an eTA or a visa counterfoil, you’ll collect the Temporary Resident Permit at the port of entry. The border officer is not obliged to issue the TRP, though. They can deny the document end entry (e.g. because you no longer meet the conditions).

TRP for permanent resident applicants

Sometimes permanent resident applicants may receive a TRP despite not being inadmissible to Canada. I have another article that explains this matter in detail. I only list the case type codes here:

• 89 – Member of the family class
• 88 – Convention refugee or member of the designated class
• 87 – National interest (self-employed, entrepreneur, urgent labour market need)
• 86 – Other

Navigating refused cases: long-term TRPs and the possibility of becoming a permit holder

Sometimes there is enough justification for issuing long-term TRPs for refused PR applications. Moreover, many members of this group may later apply for permanent residency under the Permit Holder Class program. The case type codes for this temporary resident permit holders are the following:

• 95 – Member of family class: criminal, security, or other inadmissibility
• 94 – National interest (self-employed, entrepreneur, or urgent labour market need): criminal, security, or other inadmissibility
• 93 – Other: criminal, security, or other inadmissibility
• 92: Member of family class: medical inadmissibility
• 91: National interest (self-employed, entrepreneur, or urgent labour market need): medical inadmissibility
• 90: Other: medical inadmissibility

Temporary resident cases: different TRP categories

In cases of temporary residence, immigration authorities use the following case-type codes. Of course, they must still believe the reasons for remaining in Canada outweigh the inadmissibility (or potential inadmissibility).

• 97 – National interest (NAT. INT. PAX-1, NO VERIF DEPART – overseas applicants only) – No need for verification of departure
• 96 – Verification of departure required
• 85 – Medical treatment
• 84 – Student
• 81 – Worker
• 80 – Inadmissible person not elsewhere specified (e.g., for victims of human trafficking)

Let us help!

If you face inadmissibility issues or need to apply for a temporary resident permit, please complete the following form. Of course, you may book an appointment with me directly. Moreover, I offer mentorship sessions and co-counselling for other licensed practitioners.