Temporary Residence Programs

People wishing to come to Canada to visit, work or study need to apply for Canadian temporary resident status. They are coming to Canada for a temporary period and are considered temporary residents in Canada.

Most visitors will need a visitor visa before they come to Canada, unless they are citizens of visa exempt countries.

People wishing to work in Canada temporarily are, in most cases, required to apply for work permits. With few exceptions, people need to apply for a study permit in order to study in Canada.

Temporary residents must satisfy an officer that their stay in Canada is of temporary nature and that they will leave Canada before their authorized stay expires. To this end they should be able to demonstrate sufficient financial resources to support themselves during the visit, their ties to home country and that they will not seek to stay in Canada illegally or claim refugee status.

Three main categories for Temporary Status are: