As has been canvassed in prior issues of ImmPulse™, and subject to exemptions for those in essential services, there is currently a mandatory 14-day federally-imposed quarantine requirement for those permitted to travel to/enter Canada under the COVID regime. Note that this is not an immigration requirement per se – this requirement applies even to Canadian citizens. This is separate from the issue of who may indeed travel to Canada at this time. And for our purposes, we are focusing on those travelling to Canada for the purpose of work.
[The issue was most robustly canvassed in the June 22, 2020 issue of ImmPulse™ found at http://www.kranclaw.com/2020/06/canada-business-immigration-covid-19-roundup/, but particular updates and sub-issues have also been canvassed, including the need to now use the ArriveCan app for the purpose of submitting a quarantine plan in advance, discussed in the November 5, 2020 issue at http://www.kranclaw.com/2020/11/covid-quarantine-plan-procedure-update-for-arrival-in-canada/.]Federal Update
The government recently announced a pilot project – available at this time only to those entering through certain Alberta Ports of Entry (Calgary airport and Coutts land border) – whereby rather than quarantine for 14 days, participants in the pilot will be allowed to conclude their quarantine early if they test negative on two COVID-19 tests, one on entry, and one 6 or 7 days after entry. Participants must be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents OR “foreign national not restricted from entering Canada”. This last grouping would appear to apply to many foreign workers.
There are still certain conditions, including the requirement to continue to comply with preventive measures during the abbreviated quarantine, but this program may be beneficial to many foreign workers. See https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice/alberta-covid-19-border-testing-pilot-program.html for details.
Hopefully, if the pilot is successful, it will be expanded, and quarantine times may be reduced for those entering Canada at other locations.
Provincial Considerations
Readers should also be aware that in addition to the 14-day federal quarantine requirement, some provinces or regions (e.g. Atlantic Canada) place additional requirements on those entering their jurisdiction. These should certainly not be taken for granted, and failure to comply with these additional requirements can also lead to refused entry or other consequences.
Not all provinces impose specific additional obligations, but some do, and as such, the requirements for each province should be reviewed. Links to the various provincial sites that explain each of the provinces’ requirements can be found at https://travel.gc.ca/covid-19-provinces-territories. As but two examples, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland require advance filings, and approval to travel may be required.
As such, any foreign worker travelling to Canada should ensure that he/she reviews the COVID-related travel restrictions/requirements that may be applicable for the province of destination, before travelling.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.