Foreign nationals will be given permission to travel to Canada for work purposes

The travel restrictions imposed by Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic led to much confusion and debate among foreign workers about their future. However, the country has come through and exempted foreign workers from some of the coronavirus measures so that they can come back. Work permit holders will be able to travel to Canada no matter where they are. In fact, even the holders whose work permits were approved after the government issued the travel ban will be able to enter Canada. The tightening of the borders will help to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Initially, it appeared that workers would not be allowed to travel to Canada if their work permits had been approved after 18th March. However, this earlier version is no longer applicable.

What are the measures that have been taken?

Work permit holders from all over the globe will now be granted permission to fly to Canada as long as they do not have any coronavirus symptoms. The travelers who show symptoms will not be completely barred from entering the country. They will still be able to travel to the country by land. However, they will have to self-isolate immediately in order to reduce the risk to other people. All travelers are required to self-isolate for at least two weeks if they are entering Canada from a foreign country. This rule does not apply to truck drivers who are compelled to cross the Canada-U.S. border frequently in order to maintain a regular flow of goods.

The country has also introduced a number of temporary modifications to the LMIA or Labour Market Impact Assessment that targets the agriculture and food-processing industry. The two-week recruitment period existing before will now be waived for the upcoming six months. The maximum employment duration permissible under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will also be increased from one to two years.