Can I apply for a Temporary Resident Permit instead of criminal rehabilitation if I need to travel sooner?

Yes, a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) is a separate option that can allow someone who is otherwise inadmissible to enter or stay in Canada for a specific, time-limited reason, and it can be a practical alternative when there isn't enough time before a planned trip to go through rehabilitation, whether deemed or individual. It doesn't remove the underlying inadmissibility the way rehabilitation does — it simply authorizes entry despite it, for the period and purpose specified.

A TRP is discretionary and requires a genuine reason for the trip that an officer weighs against the seriousness of the inadmissibility and any risk involved — the more serious the underlying issue, the stronger the justification needs to be. It's generally intended for a specific need, such as a family event, business trip, or similar time-sensitive purpose, rather than as an open-ended substitute for actually resolving the inadmissibility long-term.

Because a TRP and rehabilitation solve different problems — one is a temporary workaround, the other a permanent fix — many people pursue a TRP for near-term travel while working on rehabilitation in parallel for the future. Getting advice on both routes together, rather than treating them as mutually exclusive, usually produces the best outcome.