How has the World Pandemic affected you if you wanted to visit, work, or study in Canada?

A shortlist pocket guide for quick reference

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic has severely affected the lives of everyone across the globe. It has changed the way we interact with each other locally and internationally. The Government of Canada has for some time now announced an immediate plan for travel restrictions. Now with COVID-19 numbers increasing as we may be heading into a ‘second wave’ it is important to familiarise yourself with travel restrictions before planning to travel into or out of Canada.

Even if you have a valid visitor visa or eTA, you may not be able to travel and entre into Canada.

Visitors

If you are a visitor, you may be eligible to travel into Canada provided the following:

To be eligible you must provide evidence that:

• You are an immediate family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Immediate Family Member entails:
• Spouse/common-law partner
• Dependent child
• A dependent child of a dependent child
• Parent or step-parent
• Guardian or tutor

You will be staying in Canada for at least 15 days

All other foreign nationals

To be eligible, you must meet 2 requirements:

• You must be travelling for an essential (non-discretionary) purpose
• You must be one of the following:

Exempt from the travel restrictions, meaning

1. Temporary foreign workers
2. Some international students
3. Some people who have been approved to become a permanent resident of Canada, but who are not yet permanent residents
4. Immediate family members with written authorization from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to reunite with a temporary resident of Canada
5. Transiting passengers
6. Members of the Canadian forces, visiting forces, Department of National Defence and their immediate family members
7. Accredited diplomats
8. Air and marine crew members
9. French citizens who live in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and have been in only Canada, the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon during the 14 days before the day they seek to enter Canada
10. Any person who does not pose significant harm to public health, in the opinion of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and who will provide an essential service while in Canada
11. Any person whose presence in Canada is in the national interest, in the opinion of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; or Minister of Foreign Affairs
12. Any person who is coming at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of COVID-19 assistance
13. Any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries

If you feel that you may be eligible to travel to Canada you can call the lawyers at AYOUN LAW and they can help you with your application process. We can prioritize your application process depending on if you already applied or not.

 Foreign Workers

If you are currently outside of Canada as a temporary worker you may be restricted to enter Canada. However, you may be exempt from travel restrictions if you are coming into Canada for essential non-discretionary purposes.

Essential is defined as traveling into Canada for a reason(s) that is non-optional.

Your travel is essential if either:

• You have a valid work permit and normally live in Canada
• You are a worker who meets all of the following:
• Has a letter of introduction for a work permit
• Has a valid job offer
• Can work once you enter Canada after the 14-day quarantine has come to pass

TAKE NOTE: The Quarantine Act does not allow people to travel into Canada for optional reasons for example entertainment or tourism.

There are also certain people who can work without a permit and are exempt from the travel restrictions:

• Emergency service providers
• Health-care students
• Any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries

Remember even if you think you might not need a work permit, you still may need a visitor visa or eTA to enter into Canada. Call your immigration lawyer and ask how to apply for a visitor visa.

International Students

To enter into Canada as a student you must meet 2 requirements

1. You are travelling for an essential (non-discretionary) purpose
2. You must be 1 of the following:

An international student with a valid study permit or who was approved for a study permit on or before March 18, 202

Travelling directly from the US

Non-discretionary may be considered as:

• You already live in Canada
• You need to be in Canada for your program
• Your school is not offering online study options
• You cannot study online from your home country because of bandwidth limitations
• You cannot participate in live online classes from your home country because of the different time zones

Traveling into Canada has drastically changed and now has far-reaching effects. The final decision on whether you can travel into Canada will be made by a border services officer. Ensure that when you travel into Canada you have all your proper documentation at hand.

Often times when you hire one of the best legal counsels your application process can be enhanced. A good lawyer will offer you solid advice and strategically plan for your long-term interests. If you have the intentions of hiring an immigration lawyer, ensure your lawyer is in good standing of a Canadian Law Society and licensed to practice under Canadian law. The lawyers at AYOUN LAW are proud to say they are members in good standing of the Ontario Law Society. The lawyers do not take a cookie-cutter approach they offer tailed solutions to each client and their application.

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