Since the entire world is facing an unprecedented global health, social and economic emergency with the COVID-19 pandemic, International travel has turned to be more cumbersome with high restrictions held by various countries. Immigrants are most affected due to constraints with airplanes on the ground, hotels closed and travel precincts put in place all around the world. IN this regard, Canada is not an exception. The CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) has put severe restrictions on international travellers as a result of surge in covid positivity rates across different countries. However, CBSA has lifted certain restrictions on international travellers from July 5^th 2021. This article will throw light on various implications of this new rule made by Canada government.

Who is eligible for travel restriction exception?

After July 4^th midnight, below category of travelers may qualify for certain exemptions. Those who;

• are eligible to enter Canada
• Canadian citizens
• and permanent residents
• are asymptomatic
• meet the Government of Canada requirements of fully vaccinated travelers
• meet all other entry requirements, including entering your information in ArriveCAN before arrival

Those who meet the requirements may be exempt from:

• quarantine
• hotel stopover (for air travelers)
• day-8 testing requirement

However, the exception is not applicable to other travelers who are not included in above list.

What do you mean by fully vaccinated?

To be considered fully vaccinated, you must:

• be eligible to enter Canada
• have received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of accepted vaccines
• have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to entering Canada
• upload your proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN

What are currently accepted vaccines by Canadian government?

• AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccine
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine – single dose

Vaccines not currently accepted for fully vaccinated status in Canada:

• Bharat Biotech (Covaxin, BBV152 A, B, C)
• Cansino (Convidecia, Ad5-nCoV)
• Gamalaya (Sputnik V, Gam-Covid-Vac)
• Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV, Sinopharm-Wuhan)
• Sinovac (CoronaVac, PiCoVacc)
• Vector Institute (EpiVacCorona)
• Other

The list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future.

What vaccine proof is needed?

A proof of vaccination will be required in order to be exempted from the quarantine measures, and travellers are being asked to either have a paper or digital copy of their vaccination documentation. They will also have to submit proof of their vaccination as well as COVID-19-related information into the federal government’s ArriveCAN app before arriving in Canada. must only be in French or English, or certified translation into French or English.

In ArriveCAN, you must provide:

• the details of your first dose (date, country and vaccine you received)
• the details of your second dose if one was required (i.e., for Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines)
• a photo or PDF file of the record of each dose of your vaccination, such as receipts, cards, or confirmations:
  • if you received two doses and they are both recorded on a single card or PDF, upload that same image or file for dose 1 and again for dose 2
  • file formats accepted: PDF, PNG, JPEG or JPG
  • maximum file size for upload: each image upload has a 2 MB size limit
• preferred file format: if you received a PDF file of your vaccination record, upload the PDF rather than an image, since the PDF is clearer and easier to read
• these must be in English, French, or a certified translation into English or French

Entry requirements for the fully vaccinated exemption:

Fully vaccinated travelers must follow the entry requirements:

1. Pre-entry testing for travelers

• Quarantine period: All the travelers must have a suitable quarantine plan where you can stay for at least 14 days. This is required even if you are seeking the fully vaccinated exemption. Final determination is made by a government representative at the border based on the information presented at the time of entry into Canada. You must therefore be prepared to quarantine for 14 days, in case you:
• are symptomatic
• don’t meet the requirements

If you meet all the requirements, you won’t need to complete the federal quarantine.

2.Arrival testing:

You must follow the instructions provided to you upon entry to Canada to complete your arrival (day 1) test. Airports and some land borders have on-site testing or sample observation services where you can complete your test before continuing on to your destination.

We recommend you to Register in advance for your test to save time at the border.

WHEN WILL BORDERS OPEN FOR ALL?

There has yet to be any new information or timelines presented about when Canada’s international and U.S. travel restrictions will be further eased, with the latest extension in effect until July 21. The government continues to “strongly advise” that Canadians avoid non-essential travel outside of the country.

Though you are eligible to travel after this new announcement from Canada government, it is always recommended to get guided an expert immigration consultant to make your life ease at the time of complexity in your travel time.

Novaturient is a Licensed Immigration consultant that offer Visa services in acquiring Permanent Resident Visa, Student Visa and Visit Visa for countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Schengen Countries and the UK.

Email : info@novaturientvisas.com

Call us: 9731473738