IRCC updates information about who can come to Canada

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has provided an update to the available information about who is exempt from the travel restrictions on the Canadian border that were imposed on 18th March. IRCC has been doing a great job of giving frequent updates so that foreign nationals remain aware of what they can and cannot do.

Canada had already introduced exemptions, and recently Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, has allowed even more flexibility for immediate family members who want to enter the country.

Updates:

IRCC emphasizes that foreign nationals will be able to cross the Canadian borders only for non-discretionary or non-optional purposes. The foreign nationals have to take responsibility for demonstrating the purpose of their trip.

Immediate family members of permanent citizens and Canadian citizens will be given permission to enter the country for non-discretionary reasons as long as they satisfy a few key conditions. Their trip should last for a minimum of 15 days long, and they should display no symptoms of COVID-19. Moreover, they will have to place themselves in self-quarantine for two weeks so as to protect the public.

The immediate family constitutes:

• Parents or step-parents
• Spouses or common-law partners
• Dependent children
• Guardians or tutors
• Grandchildren

Required documents:

IRCC wants immigration officers to leave some room for flexibility when processing applications submitted by immediate family members as long as the reason for the trip was non-optional. They will have to provide evidence that their trip to Canada is essential.

IRCC states that immediate family should have documentation that proves their relationship to the family member as well as documents proving the family member’s citizenship or permanent citizenship.