The Canadian international travel restrictions have been in place since March in an effort to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government of Canada has chosen to extend the ban on recreational travel to Canada until at least Jan. 21, 2021. The decision to extend the current restrictions are made monthly by government and public health officials.
Who can come to Canada?
Despite the ban on non-essential travel, there are many classes of travellers that are eligible to come to Canada at this time. Notably, the immediate and extended family members of Canadians.
The full list of travellers eligible to come to Canada includes:
- Canadian citizens or permanent residents
- Holders of permanent resident visas who have a been granted their status before March 18
- Holders of permanent resident visas who have a been granted their status through family sponsorship
- Most temporary foreign workers
- International students who have studied in Canada prior to the pandemic or are attending a Canadian school with a COVID-19 readiness plan
- Immediate family members of Canadians
- Extended family members of Canadians
Anyone who is travelling to Canada must follow strict quarantine measures upon arrival in Canada. Travellers must also use the ArriveCAN app to provide their contact information and quarantine plan to the government.
COVID-19 in Canada
COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Canada. On Friday, Canada hit a milestone for daily infections, topping out at 5,967 new cases. All provinces and territories are seeing rising infections counts, with Western Canada seeing major spikes.
The rising COVID-19 cases mean that local and provincial governments are implementing additional lockdowns on social gatherings and business activities. Canada’s tourism industry is particularly hard hit by these additional restrictions. It is unclear if that will have an effect on immigration levels. As we have seen in recent provincial nominee program draws in British Columbia, occupations related to tourism and hospitality have been excluded.
Rebecca Major
Lauren Boorman
