As of January 15, certain exemptions announced in December will no longer be available to people travelling to Canada. This includes if you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a work permit holder, visitor or student entering Canada to resume their regular activities.
The first requirement is to be fully vaccinated, meaning at least 2 doses of any of them following:
a combination of at least 2 doses of the above vaccines
If you are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada and have received at least 2 doses of any of the abovementioned vaccines, you can enter Canada.
If you are a temporary resident, such as a foreign worker, student or a visitor, and have received at least 2 doses of any of the abovementioned vaccines, you are likely to be allowed to enter Canada.
Unvaccinated children, youth and adult dependents may accompany a parent, stepparent, guardian, or tutor who qualifies as a fully vaccinated traveller when they enter Canada.
The above guidelines are currently in place as per the recommendations of Public Health of Canada (PHAC), due to the current outbreak of Omicron, which has had far reaching effects and has dwarfed the previous variants in terms of number of active cases and hospitalizations, globally.
Health Canada has also advised that there will also be changes to testing and quarantine exemptions for certain travellers, regardless of citizenship, entering Canada.
Currently all passengers entering Canada, regardless of their status in Canada, are required to have a negative COVID-19 PCR result no more than 48 hours prior to their initial country of departure. Passengers may randomly be selected and asked to undergo a PCR test as soon at the port of entry in Canada. If any of the passengers are found to be COVID positive, they will have to undergo a quarantine period as per Health Canada advisory.
Effective today (November 30, 2021), fully vaccinated individuals who have the right to enter Canada and depart and re-enter the country within 72 hours will not be required to present a COVID-19 PCR test before re-entering.
Who is this exemption for?
The exemption applies to Canadian citizens, permanent residents or individuals registered under the Indian Act who:
Depart by land or air, and
Re-enter within 72 hours either by land or air.
They must have evidence to confirm that their departure and re-entry has been within a 72-hour period.
The exemption also applies to accompanying children under the age of 12, and individuals with medical contraindications to vaccination.
Which vaccines are considered for this exemption?
Effective today, Canada has also extended the vaccines acceptable to be considered fully vaccinated for the purposes of traveling to Canada. These include:
Sinopharm,
Sinovac, and
COVAXIN.
Please remember that traveling individuals must have had their last vaccine dose at least 14 days prior to their travel date.
Will PCR tests continue to be accepted instead of vaccination?
Starting today, vaccination will be required for travel within and out of Canada. A valid COVID-19 molecular test will no longer be accepted as an alternative to vaccination unless travellers are eligible for one of the limited exemptions, such as a medical inability to be vaccinated. Travellers should contact their airline or railway company to obtain the necessary form and submit it in accordance with their carrier’s approval process as of today (November 30).
It’s official! The U.S. has announced the opening of land borders for Canadian and Mexican visitors who intend to visit the U.S., from November. This was annouced earlier today by the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, allowing visitors who are fully vaccinated visitors for COVID-19 to enter the United States for non-essential purposes, including to visit friends and family or for tourism, via land and ferry border crossings.
Lawmakers in both the U.S. and Canada have appreciated the gesture of finally lifting the restrictions that have been in place since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly harmed the economies of both countries and has prevented visits to friends and families for more than 19 months.
Unvaccinated visitors will still be restricted from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders. The exact date of lifting the travel restrictions will be announced soon. Canada had lifted the restrictions for American visitors since August 9, 2021, for non-essential travel.
Have you been one of the many people affected by the ban that came into place in April this year?
Today the ban has finally been lifted and not a moment too soon as thousands of Visitor Visa, Study Permit and Work Permit holders had started to lose hope.
Since direct routes were restricted, such as from India, many had to stop over in other countries and along with that follow their quarantine and testing guidelines before they could even land in Canada and then another set of quarantine and testing requirements once they landed in Canada. This incurred a lot of travel costs.
It has been an impossible situation with many people wondering if they would ever get the chance to commence their studies, visit or work in Canada but finally, it seems, things may be returning to some sort of normality.
This is a huge boost to students in particular who, up until now, have had to study online if their designated learning institution authorized it. If they didn’t then it has caused huge issues with regards to any future applications like post graduate work permits.
Applicants who have had their visitor visas approved have been unable to join family in Canada up until now so things are moving in the right direction.
There are strict requirements that must be met of course. All travelers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the approved Genestrings laboratory at the Delhi airport, taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada.
They will also have to comply with all other requirements.
This is in addition to the ArriveCAN mobile app that must have all their information uploaded into it. Failure to do so will result in a refusal to board.
The Canadian government regularly issues travel advisory for people traveling to and from Canada, especially during the times of pandemic. Yesterday the government made a special announcement for Visit Visa applicants who have submitted their applications before September 7, 2021, and have been waiting for a decision.
The advisory provides recommendations and next steps for these applicants.
If you are waiting a decision because you need to travel soon to Canada
In this case, the government has recommended that applicants file a new visit visa application. This can be through your representative or by yourself. Your application may be considered as urgent or requiring a quicker decision if you are applying:
to unite with an immediate family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada
to unite with an immediate family member who is in Canada temporarily
to unite with an extended family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada.
to visit on business (meeting, special event, training)
to attend an end-of-life ceremony or funeral
to be present during the final moments of life of a loved one
to provide care to a critically ill person
to join a vessel as a marine crew member
to assume a posting as a diplomat or to travel as an accompanying immediate family member of a diplomat arriving on posting who will also be accredited in Canada
to handle the affairs of a victim of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752
Immediate and extended family members
The IRCC defines immediate and extended family members as follows:
Immediate family member includes a
spouse or common-law partner
dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
dependent child of a dependent child
parent or step-parent (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
guardian or tutor
You will not require an authorization to travel and exemption that you need to travel.
Extended family member includes a
non-dependent child (adult child)
grandchild (dependent child of a non-dependent adult child)
sibling, half-sibling or step-sibling
grandparent
If you have a relationship with a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada, you may be considered as an extended family member provided you can prove that you are in an exclusive relationship for more than a year and have spent time together at some point in the relationship, and that you are both above the age of 18 years.
Resubmitting the application
When resubmitting your application, it is important to submit up to date information and documents, as it is a fresh application. Please note once this application is received, your previous application will be withdrawn, though if the application is already in process, there is no guarantee of a refund for the previous application, and you will not receive a notice of withdrawal for your previous application.
If you do not intend to travel immediately
In this case, you may not take any action. Your application will remain in queue for processing with the IRCC.
If you no longer intend to visit Canada
In this situation it is advised that you withdraw your application by placing a withdrawal request through the IRCC web form. However, please note that if processing has started, there is no guarantee of refund.
Are you looking to apply for a Visitor Visa to Canada? Speak with us today.
Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.
International Experience Canada (IEC) provides candidates the opportunity to travel and work in Canada. Candidates from countries who have an agreement with Canada can apply for an IEC working holiday work permit. Some countries may allow candidates to apply once, twice, in the same or different pools, for one year at a time. It’s important that candidates confirm with their country’s Working Holiday agreements with Canada prior to applying.
Last year the IRCC announced that work permit holders were allowed to request restoration of their status beyond the usual 90 days to apply for restoration. This came because of how the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on temporary residents within the country. Read more about it here.
Under the new policy announced on September 2, 2021, the IRCC has announced that IEC candidates who have received their Letters of Introduction (LOI), but are about to expire at the end of 2021, can request to have them extended for 12 months.
Who is eligible for this extension?
The IRCC announced that those who have not been able to come to Canada to work under the IEC working holiday program since the start of the pandemic, may be eligible to request one final 12-month extension on their LOI. They would need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
their initial LOI was issued between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020 – even if an extension was previously granted due to the pandemic;
their present LOI has expired or will expire before December 31, 2021;
they were approved for the WHP (special program code WHP – Working Holiday Programme);
they still cannot secure employment to overcome travel restrictions to come to Canada; and
the request for extension is received before December 31, 2021, using the IRCC’s Web form.
Is a medical exam required again?
If the candidate has already undergone an immigration medical exam, then they will not be required to go through it again. The candidate will not be required to undergo biometrics unless it has been more than 10 years since they first submitted their biometrics.
Will all extension requests be approved?
All requests will be reviewed by immigration officers on a case-by-case basis. If they application to extend the LOI is granted, the 12-month extension will be either from the date of processing of the expired LOI, or from the expiry date of the current valid LOI.
As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.
On April 12, IRCC made a huge announcement that 90,000 essential workers and recent graduates of Canadian post-secondary schools will be allowed to apply for permanent residence through a one-time application program via a public policy called the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway.
The covid-19 pandemic has led to a shortfall of Canadian immigration targets as, despite a draw for over 27,000 applicants eligible for Canadian Experience Class in February 2021, applicants for PR from outside Canada have not been invited to apply for several months. IRCC has not done a draw for Federal Skilled Worker candidates in the Express Entry pool since December 23, 2020.
Who Can Apply?
This new one-time application program for essential workers applies to workers with a minimum of 1 year of work experience in Canada across all NOC codes, including both unskilled (NOC D) and semi-skilled (NOC C) as well as the usual skilled NOC positions.
Workers who never have the option to apply for federal immigration programs will be able to submit an application for PR such as:
cashiers
shelf stockers
order fillers
salespeople
service station attendants
Other important types of essential workers who will be eligible to apply include
truck drivers
heavy equipment operators
construction and trades labourers
landscaping labourers
nannies and home child care providers
some factory workers
security guards
butchers
some airline workers
The essential worker PR program also covers healthcare workers such as
doctors
dentists and dental assistants
degistered and Psychiatric Nurses
pharmacists
dieticians and Nutritionists
massage therapists
social workers
counselors
This list is not exhaustive. Click here for the full list of eligible healthcare occupations and NOC codes, and click here for the full list of non-healthcare essential occupations and NOC codes .
Family Members of Essential Workers and Recent Graduates
Applicants for PR under the essential worker and recent graduate program will also be able to include their family members on their application for PR including spouses or common-law partners and dependent children who are living either inside or outside Canada.
Program Start Date and End Date
Applications for the essential worker and recent graduate PR program may be submitted beginning May 6, 2021. The final date that applications will be accepted is November 5, 2021.
Number of Applications to be Accepted (Cap) – English Language Applicants
Healthcare Workers (Stream A): A maximum of 20,000 applications will be accepted
Other Essential Workers (Stream B): A maximum of 30,000 applications will be accepted
Recent Graduates: A maximum of 40,000 applications will be accepted
It appears that applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis rather than a lottery. However, this has not yet been confirmed by IRCC.
French language applicants are not subject to any cap.
Requirements
Essential Workers
Recent Graduates
Mandatory Work Experience
1 year in an eligible job inside Canada
None
Mandatory Education
None
Must have graduated from a DLI no earlier than 2017 AND
Must have completed eligible study
Mandatory Language Ability
CLB 4
CLB 5
Mandatory Location/Status
Inside Canada with valid status
Inside Canada with valid status
Mandatory Current Employment
Must be employed
Must be employed
Intended Destination May Not Be Quebec
Contact us if you are an essential worker or recent graduate.
For the last five years, the number of asylum seekers coming to Canada via so-called “irregular entries” has skyrocketed. Irregular entries refer to entries between official ports of entry such as through the forest or crossing a river. This increase in irregular entries has caused a major public outcry which I commented on in the interview below with Global News in 2017, and has even led the government to create a centralized repository of data and a quiz about myths surrounding asylum seekers (below).
It is important to note that “irregular” entries are not the same as “illegal” entries – if a person’s intention is to make a claim for asylum, they are permitted by international law to enter the country irregularly and may not be penalized for doing so; However, they must make their presence known to authorities immediately and go through the rigorous background checks, including being arrested, in order to avoid breaking any Canadian laws.
The first quarter of 2020 began with thousands of irregular entries intercepted by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who is responsible for all enforcement of Canadian border and immigration laws. CBSA intercepted around 1000 people each month, and then in April 2020, irregular entries were ceased due to covid-19. In all subsequent months of 2020, 30 or fewer irregular entries were intercepted by CBSA each month leading to the lowest total number of irregular entries – 3266 – in years.
Contrast this number with the numbers in previous years:
Year
Number of Irregular Entries
2020
3,266
2019
16,503
2018
19,419
2017 (year of the interview above)
20,593
2016
10,425
2015
6,620
Impact
This explosion in the numbers of irregular entries of asylum seekers has had multiple tangible impacts which have caused a humanitarian crisis in Canada:
Quebec shelters became overwhelmed, leading the Premier to refuse a place for any new asylum seekers in Quebec and forcing them to be bussed to Ontario
Subsequently, Toronto shelters became overwhelmed and forced to operate at near 100% capacity, leading to the asylum seekers being bussed to alternative locations in Canada with far fewer services set up to assist refugees (and farther from the Immigration and Refugee Board where their claim will eventually heard in person and decided)
The previous government codified mandatory maximum processing times for refugee hearings of 45 days. The Immigration and Refugee Board determined in 2018 that it was physically unable to meet these legal requirements leading to a hiring blitz for Members of the Immigration and Refugee Board to decide cases
The wait time for a refugee hearing skyrocketed from the legally mandated 45 days to well over 2 years
Safe Third Country Agreement
Apart from a misguided tweet from the Prime Minister in 2017 treating human beings as political pawns and pouring gasoline on the already burning fire of a refugee humanitarian crisis within Canada(below), the elephant in the room funneling people from the United States to a path at Roxham Road in Quebec in order to make a claim for refugee status is the Safe Third Country Agreement. This bilateral agreement between Canada and the United States established each other as a designated safe third country, and was intended to prevent refugee claimants from “shopping” for status in one country after they had already had the opportunity to make a claim for asylum in the other country.
However, either through genuine lack of foresight on both sides 20 years ago, or through extremely acute foresight on the part of US diplomats, the STC Agreement is only applicable at official Ports of Entry, such as land border crossings, airports, and seaports. If a person enters either Canada or the US “irregularly” at a place which is not an official border crossing, the Agreement does not apply. This loophole means that those who would otherwise be unable to make a claim for refugee status if they had gone to a regular Port of Entry, would now be able to do so if they crossed the border irregularly.
In July 2020, the Federal Court of Canada found the Safe Third Country Agreement to be unconstitutional, and ordered that the Agreement be dismantled. The government of Canada is appealing the decision and the Agreement will remain in place until the court decision is finalized.
Irregular Entries Today
When the US and Canada agreed to suspend the admission of irregular entries in March 2020 due to covid-19, Canadian officials said that they had been assured those who were not allowed to enter Canada would not be deported from the US. One man who was returned to the US after attempting to enter Canada has already been deported to his native Burundi, having exhausted all legal options in the US. Several others are being detained in the US with final orders of removal from the United States.
As a result, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marco Mendocino, has granted exemptions to several individuals in similar situations, allowing them to enter Canada despite all border restrictions in place to slow the spread of covid-19 in Canada. If they are released by the US, they will be allowed to enter Canada. These same exemptions were granted to NHL players entering Canada from the US throughout the 2019-2020 hockey season. Both countries have stated that they are committed to the principle of “non-refoulement,” which means not sending someone back to a country where they will be persecuted.
COVID-19
Covid-19 has thrown the entire Canadian immigration system into chaos worldwide:
Processing times have increased by over 8 months and possibly as much as a year for certain immigration applications – even IRCC does not know how long the backlog is
Will the Safe Third Country Agreement ultimately be found to be unconstitutional? Would this decision be good for Canada and for asylum-seekers? How else will covid-19 impact Canadian immigration? These are all unknowns.
However, what is known even if it is not stated, is that the pandemic has allowed CBSA, the Immigration and Refugee Board, the shelter system, and all of the agencies responsible for processing inland refugee claims and impacted by irregular entries to catch their collective breath on at least one crisis.
Amazing news for PR applicants – As of September 15, 2020, Service Canada centres are gradually resuming biometrics collection services for PR applicants who have received a biometric instruction letter.
How To Give Biometrics
You can ONLY give Biometrics at Service Canada if you are a PR applicant AND
You have received a biometric instruction letter (telling you to provide biometrics) AND
An Officer calls you to schedule an appointment for you to give your biometrics at Service Canada
You cannot provide your biometrics inside Canada until an officer calls you to schedule an appointment.
Do not go to the port of entry (Canadian border) to provide biometrics
Do not call the Service Canada call centre
Biometrics collection centres outside Canada are also opening gradually – check the VAC nearest you to see if they are open if you are outside Canada
How Soon Can You Give Biometrics?
Service Canada is calling people to give biometrics based on two factors:
How long ago they applied for PR
Where they live
Those who have been waiting the longest will be contacted first. Applicants who live in a highly populated area such as greater Toronto or Vancouver will take longer to receive an appointment based on how many applicants need to give biometrics.
What Happens When Service Canada Calls?
When Service Canada calls you, you will have to provide them with the following information:
Your IRCC application number (located on your biometrics instruction letter)
Preferred appointment location
Preferred appointment time based on availability.
If you applied for PR using an immigration consultant or lawyer, and their phone number is listed with IRCC as the phone number on file for the application, Service Canada will call your consultant or lawyer rather than calling you directly. You can update or change the phone number on file with IRCC by submitting a Case Specific Enquiry webform.
Who Has To Give Biometrics?
Inside Canada, only applicants for PR are currently required to give biometrics. Applicants for temporary residence such as a work or study permit are still exempt from giving biometrics.
Deadlines to provide biometrics have been extended indefinitely – regardless of the deadline on a biometrics instruction letter, no application for PR will be refused due to the applicant’s inability to provide biometrics by that deadline regardless of whether it is 30 or 90 days.
Who Cannot Give Biometrics?
The following individuals will not be allowed to give biometrics:
symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, a cough or difficulty breathing
had contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days
been instructed by local public health authorities to self-isolate due to travel or contact history
Contact Us if you have questions about applying for PR during covid-19.
416-827-8778 
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