Holidays

Travel from anywhere in the WORLD, other than the US, to Canada

  • Admin
  • 04-Aug-2021

Travel from anywhere in the WORLD, other than the US, to Canada 21 June 2021 Pre-boarding obligations? Are travellers allowed to transit through Canada? Who is allowed to enter Canada? What are travellers’ obligations once they enter Canada?
What are the obligations?
All travellers, including Canadian Citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and persons registered as Indian under the Indian Act, are required to present documentary evidences of a negative COVID-19 molecular test (including a polymerase chain reaction [PCR] or reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification [RT-LAMP]) test prior to boarding their flight to Canada or a positive result for the test that was performed on a specimen collected at least 14 days and no more than 90 days before the aircraft’s initial scheduled departure time.[Travellers may travel as of the 15th day after their test.]
Foreign nationals must:
 Confirm to the airline that they have read the order and certify, to the best of their ability, that they are eligible to enter Canada; and
 Not provide statements or documentation under false or misleading pretenses.
 Provide a negative COVID-19 molecular test no more than 72 hours (unless meeting an exception listed below) before the aircraft’s initial scheduled departure time to Canada .An acceptable COVID-19 molecular test includes the following:
o PCR – Polymerase chain reaction
o RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
o Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
o Nucleic acid test (NAT) or Nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs)
o Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)
o Isothermal amplification
o Droplet digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
o RNA (Ribonucleic acid)
o Ct (cycle threshold)
o CRISPR
o Sequencing
Are travellers allowed to transit through Canada?
 Yes, as long as the foreign national is not showing symptoms of COVID-19 (a fever and a cough; or a fever and difficulty breathing), they are allowed to transit from international-to-international in Canada.
 The traveller must be a person who arrives at a Canadian airport aboard
a commercial passenger conveyance and who is transiting to a country other than Canada and must meet the following criteria:
 Arrives and departs from the same Canadian airport, no domestic flights allowed;
 Remains in the sterile area of the airport;
 Baggage checked all the way through final destination;
 In Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary, connecting flights must be within same operating day, no overnights allowed; and
 In Toronto, overnight and inter-terminal connections can be accommodated.
 An exemption applies to transiting travellers
Who are being repatriated by their governments on flights that require a stop-over in Canada
Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from any Country Other than the United States)
The travel restrictions in place allows certain categories of foreign nationals to travel to Canada under the following circumstances:
 If they do not exhibit COVID-19 symptoms (i.e. a fever and cough, OR a fever and breathing difficulties) AND
 If they do not intend to travel to Canada for optional or discretionary purposes such as tourism, recreation, or entertainment.
 If they can comply with the requirement to quarantine under the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure
 to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Quarantine, Isolation and Other Obligations).
If meeting these three criteria, here are the exemptions to the travel restrictions that will allow foreign nationals to travel to Canada:
 Immediate family member of Canadian citizens and permanent residents or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act;
 An extended family member of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident or person registered as an Indian under the Indian Act; if they have a statutory declaration attesting to their relationship with the Canadian citizen or permanent resident that is signed by the Canadian citizen or permanent resident document; and are authorized, in writing, by an officer designated under subsection 6(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to enter Canada;
 A person who is authorized, in writing, by an officer designated under subsection 6(1) of IRPA, to enter Canada for the purpose of reuniting immediate family members;
 Crew member;
 Accredited diplomat and their immediate family members, including representative from the United Nations and international organizations for which Canada is part of;
 A person travelling at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response;
 Person who arrives by means of an aircraft operated by the Canadian Forces or the Department of National Defence;
 Member of the Canadian military, visiting forces, and their immediate family members;
 A French citizen who resides in St. Pierre and Miquelon (SPM) who has only been in SPM, the U.S. or Canada during the period of 14 days before the day on which they board;
 A person or any person in class of persons who, in the opinion of the Chief Public Health Officer:
 does not pose a risk of significant harm to the public health, or
 will provide an essential service while in Canada;
 A person or any person in a class of persons whose presence in Canada, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, or Public Safety, is in the national interest*;
 A person who holds a valid study permit for Canada and their immediate family members;
 A person who holds a valid work permit for Canada;
 A person whose application for a work permit in Canada was approved, and who received written notice but has not yet been issued the permit;
 A person who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of attending a listed institution, and the immediate family members of that person other than a dependent child of a dependent child of the person, if the person holds a valid study permit, as defined in section 2 of the IRPR, if the person may apply for a study permit when entering Canada under section 214 of the IRPR, or if the person’s application for a study permit was approved under IRPA and they received written notice of the approval but have not yet been issued the permit;
 A person permitted to work in Canada as a student in a health field or as a provider of emergency health services;
 A licensed health care professional with proof of employment in Canada;
 A person who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of delivering, maintaining, or repairing medically necessary equipment or devices;
 A person who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of making medical deliveries of cells, blood and blood products, tissues, organs or other body parts, that are required for patient care in Canada during or within a reasonable period of time after the expiry of the Order;  A person whose application for permanent residence in Canada was approved, but has not yet become a permanent resident;
 A worker in the marine transportation sector who is essential for the movement of goods by vessel, and who seeks to enter Canada for the purpose of performing their duties in that sector;
What are travellers’ obligations once they enter Canada?
 Every person must wear a mask upon entry and while in transit to the place of quarantine or isolation, a health care facility, or a place of departure from Canada, unless they are alone in a private vehicle.
 Upon entry to Canada, all travellers will have to answer additional screening questions regarding their intended place of quarantine.
 During their first 14 days in Canada, all travellers will have to answer relevant health screening questions.
 All asymptomatic travellers, unless otherwise exempt, are subject to a test upon entry to Canada, after entering Canada and must retain the evidence of their testing result.
 All asymptomatic travellers, unless otherwise exempt, must quarantine themselves at a Government Approved Accommodation at first point of arrival for three (3) days and continue their quarantine for 14 days (or longer, if required) at a place of their choosing and monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19.
o From their answers, if they are considered unable to quarantine themselves, they will be transferred to a quarantine facility.
o A series of exemptions to the quarantine obligation apply for some categories of asymptomatic travellers, such as crew members, members of the armed forces, persons providing an essential service et al. They will still be required to wear a mask in public.
 Any symptomatic traveller must isolate themselves for 14 days and undergo any health assessment requested by a quarantine officer.
o From their answers, if they are considered unable to isolate themselves, they will be placed into isolation in a quarantine facility.
o Of note, a person is considered unable to isolate themselves if they must use public transportation (plane, train, bus, taxi) from the place they enter Canada to arrive at their place of isolation.
Are there exceptions to these obligations? Yes.
All exemptions to the quarantine obligations are found in Schedule 2, Table 1 of the QIOO OIC.
 A person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of the definition of crew member in section 1.1
 A person who enters Canada at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
 A member of the Canadian Forces or a visiting force, as defined in section 2 of the Visiting Forces Act, who enters Canada for the purpose of performing their duties as a member of that force
 A person or any member of a class of persons who, as determined by the Chief Public Health Officer, will provide an essential service, if the person complies with any conditions imposed on them by the Chief Public Health Officer to minimize the risk of introduction or spread of COVID-19
 A person or any member of a class of persons whose presence in Canada, as determined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration or the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is in the national interest, if the person complies with any conditions imposed on them by the

View News in PDF