Travel Questions

 U.S. – Canada joint initiative: Temporary restriction of travellers crossing the U.S.-Canada border for non-essential purposes

On June 16th, the federal government announced that the border restrictions would be extended by another 30 days until July 21.

•  https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/pm-covid19-eng.html
•  https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/entering-canada

Mandatory Quarantine Exemption

Many have reached out with requests seeking exemption from mandatory quarantine when entering Canada from the United States or other countries.

Those who are looking to travel across the border should email the Public Health Agency of Canada prior to travelling across the border. You can email phac.emergencyorder-decretdurgencecovid19.aspc@canada.ca and it usually takes about 5 days to receive a response.

New entry requirement now in effect:

• Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada. Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA.

• https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/entering-canada

Financial Assistance for Canadians outside Canada

https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-info/financial-assistance/covid-19-financial-help

Eligible Canadians currently outside Canada who need financial assistance can contact the nearest Government of Canada office or Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1 613-996-8885 (call collect where available) or CAN.finances.CV19@international.gc.ca.

FAQs for emergency loan program:  https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-info/financial-assistance/covid-19-financial-help-faqs

Returning Canadians

• Effective March 12, all travellers returning from outside Canada must self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms.
• https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
• https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases conditions/2019-novel-coronavirus-information- sheet.html

 Should I be cancelling my travel plans because of COVID-19?

• YES — The Government of Canada advises you to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice. Canadians who are outside of Canada should find out what commercial options are still available to return to Canada and should consider returning to Canada earlier than planned if these options are becoming more limited (as an example, WestJet announced they are halting international flights).

• Non-essential travel to the United States, and most other jurisdictions, has been suspended immediately.
→ More information here:
→ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html
→ https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx#toc-2

I am currently outside of Canada. Should I be returning home to Canada earlier than planned?

• Official Global Travel Advisory: Avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice.
• To limit the spread of COVID-19, many countries have put in place travel or border restrictions and other measures such as movement restrictions and quarantines. Airlines have cancelled flights. New restrictions may be imposed with little warning. Your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of Canada longer than expected.
• This advisory overrides all other risk levels, with the exception of areas for which we advise to avoid all travel (including regional advisories). The avoid all travel advisories remain valid.
• MORE: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Either me or my family member is outside of Canada and is affected by travel bans. What should we do?

• Canadians travelling outside of Canada in need of emergency consular assistance can contact Global Affairs Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1 613 996 8885 or email sos@international.gc.ca.

Visitors to Canada

• Travel for the purpose of obtaining immigration services is non-essential. If you are in Canada, and are seeking to travel to the border in order to make an application for a work permit, study permit or permanent residence, you are asked to consider federal and provincial guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing. Do not travel to the border for these services until further notice. If you are currently in Canada as a visitor, student or worker, you can apply online to IRCC to extend your temporary resident status. By doing so, you can continue to stay, study or work in Canada while your application is being processed. This is referred to as implied status, and as long as you apply before your current document expires, your current immigration authorizations and conditions remain unchanged.  In-Canada services are available through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ivc-rnc-eng.html