Canada has recently put new processes in place to support family reunification and grant entry for compassionate reasons.

International students can also return

Patty Hajdu, Health Minister of Canada said, “This disease is not going away any time soon. Countries will be struggling for a very long time. We firmly believe in compassion. We know that we need to take these steps, given that this is not a short-term problem.”

According to reports, the expanded allowances will include – 

• Certain extended family members of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents (including those in an exclusive dating relationship of at least one year), and their dependent children, as well as adult children, grandchildren, siblings, and grandparents

• International students – Their designated learning institution has to be identified by their provincial or territorial government as having a COVID-19 readiness plan in place

• Foreign nationals who need to enter the country for compassionate reasons. These include life-threatening illness, critical injury, or death

Hajdu added, “These situations could include being with someone you love to say goodbye at the end of their lives. It could also include attending a funeral, or an end of life ceremony. The decision to allow someone to end their quarantine early will be coordinated with the provincial or territorial government.”

However for travellers that don’t fit in this category, Canada has extended its international travel restrictions to October 31, 2020. 

Travellers arriving in Canada have to also quarantine themselves for 14 days. Every visitor will have to apply for and receive official authorisation before they can enter Canada. 

Decided through the federal government Order in Council, the order observes that ‘no reasonable alternatives to prevent the introduction or spread of the disease are available’.

The US-Canadian border restrictions are effective till October 21. Apart from this, since March, nonessential border crossing by land and sea has been banned. However, the neighbouring nations are looking at renewing the policies based upon monthly reviews of the pandemic.

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