Immediate family of Canadian citizens and PRs exempted from travel restrictions
Ottawa International Airport
Foreign nationals, who are immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, will now be exempt from the prohibition on entry to Canada if entering to be with an immediate family member for a period of at least 15 days.
The Canada Border Services Agency has announced that this exemption applies to foreign nationals, “who do not have COVID-19 or exhibit any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or who do not have reason to believe they have COVID-19.”
An immediate family member refers to a person’s spouse or common-law partner, and a person’s or their spouse’s or common-law partner’s dependent child, parent or step-parent, guardian or tutor, or dependent child of a dependent child.
The Government of Canada says that the border restrictions have been loosened to facilitate family unification, upon realizing that the measures they earlier put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 have created challenges for some families.
These exempted immediate family members, however, will be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, as is the requirement for all people entering Canada regardless of where they are coming from. These precautions are intended to continue protecting the health and safety of Canadians and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Asymptomatic foreign national immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, who intend to stay in Canada for 14 days or less, may still enter Canada as long as their entry is not for a discretionary purpose and, if seeking entry from the United States, are able to comply with the requirement to quarantine based on their purpose of travel and intended length of stay.
The exemption from the prohibition on entry to Canada, which has been in effect since June 8, 2020, does not apply to immediate family members of temporary residents in Canada, such as those on a student visa or work visa.
Also, all foreign nationals who have COVID-19 or exhibit any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 are still prohibited from entering Canada.
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