On Friday the Government of Canada announced that the COVID-19 related travel restrictions currently in place will be extended for another 30 days. The restrictions will expire on September 30, 2020, but they could be extended further.
“Our government is extending the existing restrictions on international travel to Canada by one month — until September 30, 2020 — to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair in a Tweet sent out Friday afternoon.
Friday’s announcement does not affect the Canada-U.S. land border, which remains closed to all non-essential travel until at least September 21.
Who can come to Canada?
There are some exceptions to the Canadian travel restrictions but all non-essential travel (tourism) is prohibited. All travellers who do enter Canada must complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine period. If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, you will not be allowed to enter the country unless you are a Canadian.
Citizens and permanent residents
All Canadian citizens and permanent residents are free to enter Canada. The immediate family members of Canadians are also allowed to enter Canada, provided the length of their stay is 15 days or longer.
Holders of Canadian permanent resident (PR) visas who have not yet landed in Canada are also welcome to enter Canada provided they meet one of the three following conditions:
- Your PR visa was issued on or before March 18.
- You are the spouse or dependent child of a Canadian who has been successfully approved through family sponsorship.
- You are residing in the USA and coming directly to Canada.
Students
For students, only those in possession of a valid student permit that was approved prior to March 18, or, students who are required to attend in-person classes by their school may enter Canada.
Workers
Most work permit holders are free to enter Canada at this time. The only exception is if you are coming to Canada on a new work permit and the job you were going to take is no longer available.
Canada’s response to COVID-19 so far
Canada’s efforts to contain the virus have been relatively successful. Atlantic Canada, for example, has single-digit numbers of active cases while the rest of the country sees on average, about 500 new cases per day.
Canada has so far seen 127,940 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of those infected cases, 113,664 are listed as recovered. There are also 9,117 recorded deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
The decision to extend the current Canadian travel restrictions is made on a monthly basis. Canadian public health officials will evaluate computer models, infection rates, and a host of other factors when making the decision.
For more information on Canada’s COVID-19 response and data, click here.
Rebecca Major
Lauren Boorman
