Can I apply for permanent residence status (PR) and temporary resident visa (TRV) status at the same time?
- Date added:
- Thursday, 24 November 2011
Answer
You may apply for permanent resident status and temporary status at the same time (dual intent). Doing so will not harm your application for permanent resident status. However, your application for temporary status may be affected because an impression will have been created that you do not intend to leave Canada upon the expiration of your temporary status. Therefore it is better to apply for temporary status before you apply for your permanent resident status, if you are not sure that you are ready to submit your PR application.
There is no guarantee that everyone who applies for a TRV (temporary resident visa - tourist visa, work permit, study permit) will get it, especially if the application is made for the whole family, and especially if the person has a parallel application for PR. Although the new Canadian Act (IRPA) recognizes "dual intent" - applying for PR and wishing to visit Canada – the immigration officials look at the whole picture and very often reject the TRV application just to make sure that the PR applicant will not decide to remain in Canada illegally if his/her PR application fails.
The main goal and challenge is to be able to convince the immigration officer that the applicant has reason to and will be returning to his country of domicile and will leave Canada upon termination of the validity of his temporary visa.