Travel to Canada and coronavirus (COVID-19): latest updates

Canada’s borders are currently closed to the vast majority of foreign nationals. Certain exemptions to the travel restrictions are in place.

As per initial announcements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will have the ability to cross into Canada, whether by aircraft or by the land border with the U.S. However, several exceptions were confirmed through IRCC’s announcement. The following groups can cross the border into Canada whether by air or by land:

• immediate family members of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents who are travelling to Canada for non-discretionary reasons*;
• immediate family members of temporary residents in Canada who receive written authorization from IRCC;
• temporary workers who hold a valid work permit or who are approved for a work permit but have not yet been issued the work permit (holding a Letter of Introduction);
• IEC participants who have not yet activated their work permits must have a valid job offer in order to enter, this job offer does not need to be in an essential sector (Source: IRCC);
• IEC participants who have already activated their work permits and were outside the country temporarily do not require a valid job offer in order to re-enter (Source: IRCC; note that anecdotal reports suggest airline staff and border officers may deny entry without proof of a connection to Canada like employment, housing, or family);
• international students who hold a valid study permit, or who had been approved for a study permit when the travel restrictions took effect on March 18, 2020, or who are coming from the United States, and who are entering for a non-discretionary purpose;
• COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in any country other than the United States and were approved for their COPR before 12pm EDT on March 18, 2020, and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC);
• COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in the United States and were approved on any date (even after March 18, 2020) and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC).

There are a handful of other exceptional exemptions listed here.

(Sources: IRCC, Governor in Council – U.S., Order in Council – International)

*The following types of family members are considered “immediate”:

• the spouse or common-law partner of the person;
• a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner;
• a dependent child of a dependent child;
• the parent or step-parent of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner; or
• the guardian or tutor of the person.
• IRCC has confirmed that in order to be considered non-discretionary, a family member’s travel must be “for 15 days or more and they are travelling with or to be with their CC/PR family member.”

According to CBSA, immediate family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who do not have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19 are “exempt from the prohibition on entry to Canada if entering to be with an immediate family member for a period of at least 15 days.”

Immediate family members of temporary residents of Canada may be able to enter Canada with written authorization from IRCC.

The following types of family members are considered “immediate”:

• the spouse or common-law partner of the person;
• a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner;
• a dependent child of a dependent child;
• the parent or step-parent of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner; or
• the guardian or tutor of the person.

The answer to this question depends on when your COPR was issued and where you’re currently residing. According to official guidelines published by IRCC, individuals who meet the following conditions may still enter Canada:

• COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in any country other than the United States and were approved for their COPR before 12pm EDT on March 18, 2020, and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC);
• COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in the United States and were approved on any date (even after March 18, 2020) and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC).

You must be travelling to Canada to settle permanently and may be asked to provide proof of this intention. If you travel to Canada with the intention to activate your PR status and then leave (sometimes called a ‘soft landing’) you will be denied entry.

All travellers must have a plan for their 14-day mandatory self-isolation period upon arriving in the country.

The answer to this question depends on the type of work permit or study permit you’ve received and your date of issue. According to official guidelines published by IRCC, individuals who meet the following conditions may still enter Canada:

• temporary workers who hold a valid work permit or who are approved for a work permit but have not yet been issued the work permit (holding a Letter of Introduction);
• IEC participants who have not yet activated their work permits must have a valid job offer in order to enter, this job offer does not need to be in an essential sector (Source: IRCC);
• IEC participants who have already activated their work permits and were outside the country temporarily do not require a valid job offer in order to re-enter (Source: IRCC; note that anecdotal reports suggest airline staff may still request to see proof of a connection to Canada like employment, housing, or family, when boarding);
• international students who hold a valid study permit, or who had been approved for a study permit when the travel restrictions took effect on March 18, 2020, or who are coming from the United States, and who are entering for a non-discretionary purpose;

(Sources: IRCC, Order in Council – U.S., Order in Council – International)

A source at CBSA has confirmed some people who are eligible for exemptions to travel restrictions are being denied boarding on flights or turned away at the border, especially if they cannot provide a plan for self-isolation upon arrival or provide evidence that their travel to Canada is necessary at this time. Please bear this in mind if you choose to travel to Canada.

No. IRCC has issued an official statement in this regard.

“They [temporary residents inside Canada] should not travel to a port of entry (POE) to apply directly to a border services officer. Travelling to a POE from inside Canada for the purpose of getting immigration services is not considered essential travel, and they will not receive these services.” (Source: IRCC)

If you are a member of one of the groups who is able to enter Canada, you should expect enhanced screening methods at airports and Ports of Entry. Throughout 2020, Canada plans to introduce temperature checks for all passengers boarding flights to Canada (Source: CBC).

Mandatory Quarantine: As of March 26, anyone entering Canada will be forced to enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine. This quarantine is being enforced and those breaking quarantine may be subject to fines and jail time. Certain exemptions will be made for essential workers. (Source: IRCC)

If your travel document is going to expire within the next 30 days, please complete the IRCC online web form to advise them of your issue. Include as many details as possible. Please wait until 30 days before your document’s expiry date before submitting your extension request.

COPR-holders with expiring documents have been asked to only complete the web form when they are ready to travel to Canada. (Source: IRCC)

IRCC has indicated that they will offer extensions to some users who have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Temporary residents stuck inside Canada may be able to extend their status, or restore their status if they’ve fallen out of status (refer below for details on restoration of status). Follow the guidelines in IRCC’s special measures to help those affected by the coronavirus.

If your work permit or study permit has expired (or is going to expire), you must apply to extend your status, either as a worker, a student, or transitioning to visitor status. If you do not apply to extend your status and your work/study permit expires, you are technically not legally entitled to continue working or studying in Canada (until you apply to restore your status). Follow the IRCC instructions that apply to your situation.

Restoration of status in Canada: The government has introduced a special temporary measure to assist temporary residents in Canada (students, workers, and visitors) whose status has expired during the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, temporary residents have 90 days to apply for restoration of status if their status has expired and they remain in Canada. The temporary measure allows any temporary resident who has fallen out of status after January 30, 2020, to apply for restoration of status anytime prior to December 31, 2020. (Source: IRCC)

Temporary workers inside Canada may start a job with a new employer more quickly through a new streamlined process announced May 12 (Source: IRCC). As many temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada lost their jobs due to the economic impacts of COVID-19, the government has created a temporary policy allowing these TFWs, who are already in Canada with an employer-specific work permit, to more quickly change employers.

Normally, TFWs who lost their job in Canada would have to apply for a new work permit and wait until a decision is made on this application—a process that usually takes 10+ weeks. Under the new process, TFWs can start a position with a new employer before their new work permit application is processed.

Important: TFWs with employer-specific work permit still have to apply for their new work permit. After applying, they must follow the instructions on this IRCC webpage, and must wait until receiving email confirmation from IRCC that they can start working in their new position.

TFWs with open work permits are always able to switch employers, so this policy does not impact them.

Visitors who are currently in Canada and have a valid job offer will be able to apply for an employer-specific work permit and, if approved, receive the permit without having to leave Canada. Eligible job offers must be supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or exempt from needing one. Full details here.

Start by consulting IRCC’s special instructions for applications being submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. IRCC has stated that they will not refuse an application if you cannot complete the application due to COVID-19.

This includes applicants for:

• Permanent residence (including Express Entry)
• Work permits (including the Working Holiday)
• Study permits
• Visitor visas

If your application is due, for example, if your Express Entry PR application deadline is approaching, you may submit your application with missing documents, but ensure that you include a letter of explanation explaining the missing documentation and the reasoning for this. IRCC will give you 90 days to complete missing steps in your application.

Please note that biometrics letters will still state that biometrics are due in either 30 or 90 days, but IRCC will not close an application if an applicant cannot obtain biometrics due to COVID-19 closures.

In most cases where biometrics were required before COVID-19, they are still required. However, there are some applicants who are exempt from biometrics.

Biometrics exemptions: On July 15, Canada announced that certain temporary resident applicants who are inside Canada will be exempt from the requirement to provide biometrics (Source: IRCC). This is a temporary measure. The exemption includes those who are applying from within Canada:

• to extend your stay as a student, worker or visitor
• to restore your status as a student, worker or visitor
• for a work or study permit
• for a visitor visa
• for a temporary resident permit

As well, this temporary measure does not apply if you are outside Canada. Those applying for permanent residence from within Canada are still required to provide biometrics (note that Service Canada locations in Canada are not yet processing biometrics and biometrics deadlines for PR applicants have been extended due to COVID-19).

Additional biometrics exemptions for PR applicants: IRCC is introducing a new special measure for PR applicants who have already completed biometrics for a different immigration application within the past 10 years. These applicants will now be exempt from providing new biometrics with their PR application (Source: IRCC).

Update — September 14: Certain permanent residence applicants applying from inside Canada are being contact individually by Service Canada to schedule in-person appointments for biometrics. Applicants are being contact in the order in which applications were submitted (oldest applications first). At this time, applicants cannot book biometrics appointments unless they are first contacted by Service Canada. This is according to an automated message on the IRCC phone lines.

Canada is still processing immigration applications for most immigration programs, with some delays and restrictions in place. All applications submitted through International Experience Canada (IEC) are currently paused. 

As of July 1, IRCC has resumed processing of online applications for visitor visas and eTAs. However, IRCC warns that most visitors will be unable to enter Canada presently due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and that the resumption of processing is largely to avoid a processing backlog in the future (Source: IRCC).

For applicants whose applications are still being processed delays should be expected. IRCC has issued the following statement: “While we continue to serve our clients, service disruptions and restrictions due to COVID-19 may have an impact on processing times, and the current posted processing times may not be accurate.” (Source: IRCC)

Study Permit Eligibility & Application Process

The Canadian government is introducing special measures to help approved international students and study permit applicants who are hoping to begin Canadian studies in the fall (Source: IRCC). Many international students will be able to begin or continue their Canadian studies while living outside Canada through distance learning. The new measures include:

• Giving priority study-permit processing for students who have submitted a complete application online; and
• Implementing a temporary two-stage approval process to reassure international students who cannot submit all required documents for their study permit applications and who choose to pursue Canadian programs through distance learning.

The temporary two-stage approval process will allow study permit applicants to count time spent studying online abroad towards their PGWP as long as they’ve received an approval-in-principle, as long as eventually they are able to satisfy all requirements and receive a full approval of their study permit. This should provide hope to some study permit applicants who were hoping to begin studies in the fall, but were unable to obtain all required documents for their study permit due to COVID-19.

Read full updates on how COVID-19 is impacting international students in our dedicated COVID Student Newshub.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Eligibility

Canada has introduced special measures due to COVID-19 which allow international students to complete a percentage of their studies from abroad and still count this time towards their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). The percentage of online course work you can complete while maintaining eligibility for your PGWP depends on which situation describes you:

• Students may now study online from abroad until April 30, 2021, with no time deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit, provided 50 percent of their program of study is eventually completed in Canada.
• Students who have enrolled in a program that is between 8 and 12 months in length, with a start date from May to September 2020, will be able to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
• Students who have enrolled in a program with a start date from May to September 2020 and study online up to April 30, 2021, and who graduate from more than one eligible program of study, may be able to combine the length of their programs of study when they apply for a post-graduation work permit in the future, as long as 50 percent of their total studies are completed in Canada.

You will still have to meet all other eligibility requirements for a PGWP. To be eligible for these measures, students must have submitted a study permit application before starting a program of study in the spring, summer, or fall 2020 semester, or the January 2021 semester. All students must eventually be approved for a study permit.

Canada has reopened some Visa Application Centres (VACs) around the world, although with limited services available. Please refer to our guide on which VACs are open to find out which countries have operational VACs and what types of services are available.

Yes, a number of Express Entry draws have taken place over recent weeks. More information here.

Since March 4, most draws have been restricted to candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Provincial Nominee class. However, in July, IRCC started conducting all-program draws again. It appears that IRCC is taking a more flexible approach to Express Entry draws and will conduct some all-program draws and some program-specific draws. Only time will tell what IRCC’s long-term Express Entry response to COVID-19 will mean for interested candidates.

Invitations for the IEC program are paused until further notice. More information here.

Be sure to check the rules and regulations tied to your specific immigration program and stream, as there may be facilitative measures in place. On the federal level, IRCC has introduced special measures to support paper-based PNP applicants who have lost their job offer:

IRCC has introduced a temporary facilitative measure to assist paper-based PNP applicants (not Express Entry-aligned) who are applying through a job offer-based PNP stream. Under this new measure, applications may be placed on hold in cases where an applicant no longer has a valid job offer as a result of COVID-19 and their application was received prior to March 18, 2020. Applications will be put on hold until March 17, 2021, or until a new job offer is received along with a confirmation from the province that it continues to support the nomination, whichever comes first (Source: IRCC).