Canada's entry restrictions from 25 March are set out below. Canada will let anyone in who already has a Canadian child. A big thank you to my Canadian colleague Cindy Wasser for sharing this information with me.
Travel restriction measures: COVID-19 program delivery
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada staff. It is posted on the
Department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Air travel and border measures have been implemented to protect
the health and safety of Canadians by restricting non-essential
international travel. These instructions describe IRCC’s role in
supporting the administration of these measures and provides guidance on
applying some of the exemptions that are in place to facilitate
necessary travel.
Important note: Regular travel document
requirements for air travel and entry to Canada continue to apply.
Foreign nationals who are exempted from the travel restrictions must
continue to meet all travel document requirements under the Immigration
and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Regulations (IRPR).
On this page
Travel restrictions affecting foreign nationals
These restrictions have been implemented under the authority of the
Minister of Health through emergency orders under the Quarantine Act and
of the Minister of Transport through interim orders under the
Aeronautics Act
Footnote 1 (the Orders).
In the air mode, the basic rule is that foreign nationals are prohibited from boarding an aircraft for a flight to Canada when
- the flight is departing from any country other than the United States, and
- the foreign national is not covered by any of the exemptions in the Orders
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons continue
to be permitted to board an aircraft, subject to health screening
measures.
The definition of immediate family members set out in Interim Order
No. 2 is broader than that in IRPA (spouses and common-law partners,
their dependent children and any dependent children of their dependent
children) and has been expanded to include
- parents or step-parents
- a parent’s or step-parent’s spouse or common-law partner
- a guardian or tutor
In respect of a parent, dependent child is defined in IRPR as a child who
- (a) has one of the following relationships with the parent, namely,
- (i) is the biological child of the parent, if the child has
not been adopted by a person other than the spouse or common-law partner
of the parent, or
- (ii) is the adopted child of the parent; and
- (b) is in one of the following situations of dependency, namely,
- (i) is less than 22 years of age and is not a spouse or common-law partner, or
- (ii) is 22 years of age or older and has depended
substantially on the financial support of the parent since before
attaining the age of 22 years and is unable to be financially
self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.
Find additional information related to the interpretation of a dependent child:
Travel restriction exemptions
Immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents
A foreign national who is an immediate family member of a Canadian
citizen or permanent resident is exempt from the travel restrictions and
permitted to travel to Canada if they have the required travel
documents.
Where the foreign national is a child, age and dependency is a
factor. However, note that a foreign national who is an adult child of a
Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in Canada may be exempt
under the
family reunification exemption.
Where the foreign national is a parent, the Canadian citizen’s or
permanent resident’s age is not a factor, and there is no requirement to
establish dependency.
The immediate family member’s physical location is not a factor. They
may be in Canada, in a third country, or accompanying the foreign
national.
Travellers are expected to self-identify to airlines at the point of
boarding that they are exempt under this provision by presenting
documentation to establish their family member’s Canadian citizenship or
permanent resident status and their relationship to that family member.
Recommended documentation for travel
Documentation showing their immediate family member’s Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, such as a
- Canadian passport
- proof of Canadian citizenship such as a citizenship certificate, citizenship card or provincial or territorial birth certificate
- Canadian permanent resident card
- Canadian permanent resident travel document (visa counterfoil)
- visa-exempt foreign passport and IRCC Special Authorization for Canadian Citizens (see below)
Documentation showing their relationship to that family member, such as a
- marriage or common-law status certificate
- birth certificate
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) for the family class
(the COPR category under Application Details will be FC) or under the
one-year window (coded OYW under Special Program)
- other document(s) supporting an immediate family connection (for
example, correspondence from IRCC showing spousal sponsorship in
progress or documentation indicating a common residential address)
Paper and electronic copies of the documents listed above are acceptable.
Role of IRCC
Air carriers who require assistance to confirm that a foreign
national passenger is eligible for this exemption will communicate
through established channels with Transport Canada and the Canada Border
Services Agency (CBSA).
Family reunification
The interim order also exempts foreign nationals whose travel to
Canada is authorized in writing by an officer designated under IRPA or
an employee of Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for the purpose of reuniting
immediate family members.
The expanded definition of immediate family member described above continues to apply.
In order for a foreign national to be eligible under this exemption,
there must be two or more foreign nationals who are immediate family
members of each other, and authorizing one or more of them to enter
Canada must allow them to be reunited.
While the foreign national’s immediate family member must be a
resident in Canada, that family member does not have to be a Canadian
citizen or permanent resident.
This means that a foreign national with an immediate family member
residing in Canada as a worker, visitor, student or protected person
would be included in this exemption.
An adult child of a person residing in Canada may be eligible under
this exemption. This is because, while the child is not an immediate
family member of the parent under the definition above, the parent is an
immediate family member of the child.
The objective of this exemption is to facilitate reuniting immediate
family members who have been separated as a result of these travel
restrictions. Migration officers and case processing officers are to
assess the circumstances surrounding the foreign national’s travel prior
to authorizing in writing that the foreign national is exempt under
this provision.
Recommended documentation for travel
A CBSA or IRCC officer or GAC employee will provide a letter to the
client to demonstrate to the airline that they are authorized to travel
to Canada under this exemption.
Role of IRCC
Processing applications for temporary resident visas and electronic travel authorizations
While the travel restrictions are in effect, IRCC will only be
issuing new temporary resident visas or electronic travel authorizations
to foreign nationals who can demonstrate that they need to travel to
Canada urgently. As the migration officer or case processing officer
must verify the purpose of travel, they can also assess whether the
foreign national is covered by an exemption under the Orders.
Where the foreign national’s immediate family member is a foreign
national resident of Canada, this exemption will apply. To facilitate
the foreign national’s travel to Canada, the officer should prepare and
send an email authorizing travel under this exemption at the same time
that they issue the temporary resident visa or electronic travel
authorization. A template authorization will be shared with the
processing networks.
Support to CBSA officers and GAC employees
CBSA officers and GAC employees who require assistance to confirm
that a foreign national passenger is eligible for this exemption will
seek guidance from CBSA and GAC, respectively, through established
channels.
Government of Canada officials may contact the IRCC Operations
Support Centre (OSC) to verify immigration status and family
relationships to the extent that this information is available in
immigration records.
International students
The interim order exempts foreign nationals who held a valid Canadian
study permit or were issued a letter of invitation dated on or before
March 18, 2020, the date on which the first interim order came into
force.
These international students were already enrolled at a designated
learning institution (DLI) in Canada or had been accepted by a DLI and
made arrangements to come to Canada to study before the travel
restrictions were put in place.
These foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines at the point of
boarding that they are exempt under this provision by presenting
- a valid study permit, or
- a letter of introduction from IRCC dated on or before March 18, 2020
Temporary workers
The interim order exempts certain foreign nationals who are authorized to travel to Canada to work.
This includes temporary workers who were already established in
Canada or who had made arrangements to come to Canada to work before the
travel restrictions were put in place. It also includes new workers who
are coming to Canada to be employed in critical industries, such as
agriculture, food processing, health, transportation and emergency
services.
These foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines at the point of
boarding that they are exempt under this provision by presenting
- a valid work permit, or
- a letter of introduction from IRCC
Permit-exempt work
The interim order provides for a number of scenarios where the foreign national is not required to obtain a work permit:
- providers of emergency services, including medical services, for the
protection or preservation of life or property (includes firefighters)
- students in a health field, including as a medical elective or
clinical clerk at a medical teaching institution in Canada, for the
primary purpose of acquiring training, if they have written approval
from the body that regulates that field
- foreign nationals seeking to enter and remain in Canada solely to
become a member of a crew of a means of transportation, including a
vessel engaged in international transportation
These foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines at the point of
boarding that they are exempt under this provision by presenting
alternative documentation. This will generally include a letter of
invitation from a relevant organization in Canada (federal, provincial
or municipal government entity for emergency services providers,
teaching institutions for medical students, or shipping agents for
persons joining vessels).
Permanent resident visa holders
The interim order exempts foreign nationals who have been approved
for permanent residence and who were eligible to travel to Canada to
become landed permanent residents on or before March 18, 2020, the date
on which the first interim order came into force.
Many of these foreign nationals had already made arrangements to
settle in Canada before the travel restrictions were put in place.
Facilitating their entry for the purposes of landing contributes to
meeting immediate family reunification and labour market needs and
reduces the accumulation of an inventory of approved permanent residents
who will need to travel to Canada once restrictions are lifted.
These foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines at the point of
boarding that they are exempt under this provision by presenting
- a permanent resident visa (nationals from visa-required countries only), or
- a COPR document (all foreign nationals)
Accredited officials
The interim order exempts foreign nationals who are exempt from the
requirement to obtain a temporary resident visa under paragraph
R190(2)(a) and their immediate family members. Note that the broader
definition of immediate family members continues to apply.
The foreign national must hold a passport that contains a diplomatic
acceptance, a consular acceptance or an official acceptance issued by
the Chief of Protocol for GAC on behalf of the Government of Canada.
They must be a properly accredited diplomat, consular officer,
representative or official of a country other than Canada, of the United
Nations or any of its agencies or of any international organization of
which Canada is a member.
Protected persons
The interim order exempts protected persons within the meaning of subsection A95(2).
A protected person is a person on whom refugee protection is conferred under
subsection A95(1) and whose claim or application has not subsequently been deemed to be rejected under subsection
A108(3),
A109(3) or
A114(4).
The only document that may be presented to provide proof of this status
is a Canadian refugee travel document issued by IRCC, in line with
paragraph R39(c).
National interest
The interim order exempts a foreign national whose presence in
Canada, in the opinion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister
of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship or the Minister of Public
Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is in the national interest.
This exemption may only be applied by any of the 3 ministers listed.
The decision for the exemption will be made by the respective minister.
The IRCC Case Management Branch will manage these situations in
accordance with existing processes.
Transit passengers
The interim order exempts foreign nationals in transit through Canada
to another country. Given the interplay between the interim order under
the Aeronautics Act and related emergency orders under the Quarantine
Act, the airport of arrival into Canada must have the facilities to
permit the foreign national to connect to their destination without the
foreign national having to present themselves for examination to enter
Canada.
Crew members and foreign nationals entering Canada to become crew members
The interim order exempts foreign national crew members, including those arriving by air to join a vessel.
Airlines will permit boarding for seafarers travelling to Canada to
join a ship’s crew if they are holding a seafarer’s identity document
supplemented by a passport or other seafarer documentation, including
proof of employment on a vessel at a Canadian port.
This exemption does not affect regular travel document and permit requirements for foreign nationals under IRPR.
Canadian citizens travelling on a foreign passport
Canadian citizens are encouraged to carry a valid Canadian passport
at all times. Exceptionally, Canadian citizens may travel to Canada on a
visa-exempt foreign passport with a special authorization. When this
special authorization is issued, IRCC will produce a confirmation email
approving the special authorization. For the purposes of the interim
order, the Canadian citizen can provide this email to the airline to
show they are not a foreign national and therefore not subject to this
travel restriction. Note that the foreign passport number in the
approval email should match the traveller’s foreign passport number.
