More than 32,000 foreign nationals who were deemed inadmissible to Canada were nevertheless granted permission to enter or remain in the country through Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs) between January 2021 and March 2026, according to a newly released response to an order paper question.

The figures, provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), show that 32,660 permits were issued despite applicants being found inadmissible under provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The permits were issued for a wide range of inadmissibility grounds, including criminality, serious criminality, security concerns, misrepresentation, human rights violations, and non-compliance with immigration laws.

Among the most notable figures were permits granted to individuals found inadmissible for criminal offences. Federal records show 4,970 permits were issued to people deemed inadmissible for criminality, while another 2,700 permits were granted to individuals found inadmissible for serious criminality.

The government also approved permits for people caught misrepresenting themselves on immigration applications. A total of 325 permits were issued to applicants found inadmissible for misrepresentation.

Go Ad Free

Records further show permits were granted to individuals flagged on security grounds, as well as to those linked to human or international rights violations, though privacy rules suppress exact figures when the totals are very small.

The overwhelming majority of permits were issued by IRCC, which approved 24,515 permits during the period. The Canada Border Services Agency approved an additional 8,145.

Temporary Resident Permits allow otherwise inadmissible foreign nationals to enter or remain in Canada when officials determine their presence is justified despite the inadmissibility finding.

The largest category of permits was issued for "non-compliance with the Act," accounting for more than 12,000 approvals. However, thousands were also issued to individuals whose inadmissibility stemmed from criminal convictions or more serious offences.

The figures were disclosed in response to order paper question Q-1184 tabled in the House of Commons and cover the period from January 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026.