Earlier this year in July, the European Union re-opened its borders to non-essential Canadian travel. Canada has since been one of only 14 countries on this list. However, the EU has since removed 4 countries from this list due to rising Covid-19 cases, Algeria, Montenegro, Morocco, and Serbia. Now Canada has joined the ranks of cordoned off countries.
Travel Restrictions
The decision to ban Canadian travelers has not yet taken effect, nor does it mean that every European country will strictly enforce it.
However, the Canadian Border Agency states that,
“If you’re a foreign national (not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada), you won’t be able to enter Canada if you have COVID-19 symptoms. The exception is if you’re a protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html
This also extends to what the Canadian Government calls “discretionary (optional) travel to Canada”, which is in simpler terms, a ban all non-essential travel. Of course, non of that is any news, Canada has maintained a similar stance since the beginning of the pandemic. The exemption for this is for those visiting immediate family members in Canada. If your family member has Permanent Residency, or is a Canadian Citizen, you may be able to visit. However, this stay must be for no less than 15 days to allow for self isolation.
All this comes at a time when Canada has decided to lengthen its own border restrictions. Earlier this week, Canada had announced that it would extend the US restrictions on travel until November 21st.
Additional Information
There are still some other groups who may come to Canada. For example, on October 20th Canada re-opened its borders to international students. These students do however, have to follow the same health guidelines on self-isolation as those visiting on compassionate grounds.
If you would like to learn more, or you are interested in immigration services, contact us through the link.