Permanent Residents and Exempt Permit Holder Allowed To Travel To Canada

The federal government of Canada addresses the questions that have been the subject of uncertainty since the first travel ban. More details have been released by the government that includes the specific terms and conditions for the immigrants who have committed to work, study or settle in the country.

Immigration ministry of Canada – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has clarified on the persons who can enter the country during COVID-19 pandemic and what documents they should bring to provide to airlines, to accept or reject their boarding.

International Students with Study Permit

International students who are having a valid study permit or who have already enrolled or accepted a Designated Educational Institution (DEI) in Canada before the implementation of the travel restrictions are allowed to travel back to the country. They have to self-identify themselves at the airport by providing a valid study permit or letter of introduction from the government dated March 18, 2020, or before as proof.

Other than the international students, temporary workers who are already in Canada or had made arrangements to move to Canada are also exempted. New foreign workers immigrating to Canada to work in key industries like agriculture, food processing, health, transportation, and emergency services are also exempted from the travel restrictions. They are also advised to self identify themselves and to provide a valid work permit or letter of introduction from the IRCC at the airport.

Permanent resident visas holders are also required to follow the same guidelines who had made the travel arrangements to move to Canada before the travel restrictions. They need to have Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) document as proof of status.

Through their official website, IRCC has confirmed that the international students, temporary foreign workers, and approved permanent residents are now able to travel to Canada.

Exemptions for Immediate Family

Immediate family members of the Canadian citizens were exempted from the beginning of the travel restrictions. Now, foreign nationals are also allowed to enter the country if they have an immediate family member in the country as a worker, visitor, student or protected person.

Under the immediate family members, the following are the members that are included:

• Spouses and common-law partners
• Dependent children, and children of spouses and common-law partners
• Dependent children of dependent children of either the Canadian resident or their spouse or common-law partner
• Parents or step-parents
• A parent’s or step parent’s spouse or common-law partner
• A guardian or tutor

Dependent children must be 21 years of age or below unless they are financially dependent on Canadian residents due to a disability.

Some adult children may be exempted under the family reunification. In order to travel under this exemption, they have to provide an official letter confirming the purpose of their travel is to reunite with their family. The letter must be from the IRCC, Canadian Border Service Agency, or Global Affairs Canada.

To show that the immediate family members are an eligible Canadian resident, foreign nationals have to provide with any one of the following documents:

• Canadian passports
• Proof of Canadian citizenship
• Canadian permanent resident card
• Canadian permanent resident travel document
• Visa-exempt foreign passport and IRCC Special Authorization for Canadain Citizens

Documentation that shows their relationship to their Canadian family members, such as:

• 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 documents supporting an immediate family connection (for example, correspondence from IRCC showing spousal sponsorship in progress or documentation indicating a common residential address)

Reference is taken from CIC News