COVID-19 Travel Guidelines: Travel Restrictions to Canada Extended

In a fresh move, Canada has further tightened its border measures for travellers from across the world. For travellers coming in from the U.S.A, travel restrictions have been extended until March 21. For rest of the world travel restrictions will remain in place until April 21. Since February this year, international flights are only landing at four Canadian airports - Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto. Major Canadian airlines like Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat have suspended all flights to destinations like Mexico and Caribbean.The measures will be in effect until April 30. Justin Trudeau appreciated the airline companies for working alongside the federal government to enforce measures. All incoming air travellers aged five-years or older must take a COVID-19 test on arrival and quarantine themselves until receiving test results. The government has a list of approved hotels that air travellers can choose from. Travellers crossing the Canada-U.S. land border should also provide anegative COVID-19 test report upon arrival. They should have taken the test within 72 hours of attempting to cross the border. Until April 21, quarantine requirements have been extended. A mandatory quarantine of 14 days is required to be adhered to by the travellers. Truck drivers, emergency services providers, those who cross the Canada-U.S. border regularly for work, and other such essential travellers are exempt from COVID-19 test and mandatory quarantine period. If you fall under the below categories, then you are exempt from travel restrictions:

• Specific people approved for Canadian permanent residence
• Certain temporary foreign workers
• Protected persons
• Permanent residents or Canadian citizens (including dual citizens)
• Specific international students
• Immediate or extended family members of Canadians
• People coming to Canada for compassionate reasons
• Any others who fall under the exemptions listed on the government’s webpage

Before arriving in Canada, compassionate travellers can fill out an application to get limited release from the mandatory 14 days quarantine. The definition of compassionate reasons is:

• Being present during the final moments of a loved one, or
• Provide caregiver support to someone who is critically ill, or
• Attend a funeral, or end of life ceremony, or
• Provide medical support to a person in need

The below are exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine period:

• Healthcare workers and other people invited by the health ministry to help as part of the COVID-19 response team
• People visiting for medical tourism purposes and need medical attention with 36 hours of their arrival
• Crew members
• Members of visiting forces coming to work
• Crossing the border in trans-border community
• Other situations described in the new Order in Council

Using the ArriveCAN app, travellers must send their information to Canada border service officers. Please note that these officers reserve the final right on who can enter the country. If you are looking to Work, Study, Invest, Visit, or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company. If you found this news article engaging, you may also like How to Get Canada Permanent Resident Visa?