All You Need To Know About Travelling To Canada 2021
With COVID-19 cases dropping and vaccination rates rising, travel to Canada is looking much better! Although restrictions have not fully been lifted just yet, limitations have been minimized and our ‘normalcy’ is finally returning.
The Government of Canada has announced that given the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favourable, border measures for fully vaccinated travellers will ease up very soon.
What does this mean?
Your time to immigrate to Canada is here!
Let’s get into the details.
Effective August 9, 2021,
American citizens and permanent residents will be permitted to cross the Canadian border for non-essential travel, given fully vaccinated for a minimum of 14 days before the travel date. Such travellers will also be required to meet certain entry requirements in addition to full vaccination.
Submission of travel information using the ArriveCAN web portal or mobile application is mandatory for permission to travel and/or immigrate to Canada. Additionally, carrying a physical vaccination certificate is recommended to prove your vaccination status.
Travellers who meet the specific criteria for border entry and who are fully vaccinated will not be required to quarantine in Canada upon arrival.
Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 years who are U.S citizens and permanent residents, as well as unvaccinated dependent children (due to physical and mental conditions), will be granted entry to Canada within given parameters.
Such travellers and immigrants to Canada must be accompanied by a parent, step-parent, tutor, or guardian who is fully vaccinated and who meets all the conditions for border crossing. Accompaniment must either be a U.S citizen and permanent resident of the country, obtain the right to enter Canada (e.g. Canadian citizen and permanent resident), or is otherwise permitted to travel to Canada under the US Prohibition on Entry Order made under the Quarantine Act.
Regardless of vaccination status, all travellers and immigrants to Canada will be required to complete a COVID-19 molecular test before crossing the borders.
Who does this include?
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Fully Vaccinated American citizens or permanent residents of the United States, entering from the U.S
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Travellers with the right of entry
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Canadian citizens
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Permanent Canadian Residents
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Immediate or Extended family member of a Canadian citizen
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Essential Travellers (i.e. temporary foreign workers, international students)
Landing Targets
Currently Operating
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Montreal-Trudeau International Airport
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Toronto Pearson International Airport
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Calgary International Airport
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Vancouver International Airport
Additionally Operating as of August 9
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Halifax Stanfield International Airport
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Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
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Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
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Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
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Edmonton International Airport
"The Government of Canada recognizes that people have been anxiously awaiting a re-opening of the border to the world. We have been fully engaged with our American counterparts given the deep economic and family ties between our two countries. Today's announcement is another big step in our approach to easing border measures which are guided by facts, scientific evidence, and the advice of our public health experts."
The Honourable Bill Blair
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Effective September 7, 2021,
The Canadian Government plans on opening the Canadian borders to fully vaccinated, discretionary travellers internationally, from all countries at a minimum of 14 days post-vaccination. Currently accepted vaccinations include those fully provided by and/or a combination of,
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Pfizer-BioNTech
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Moderna
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AstraZeneca/COVISHEILD
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Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
Once again, this travel and/or immigration to Canada is assuming that the COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable.
Testing and Quarantine Measures as of August 9
Pre-entry COVID-19 Molecular Test
This is mandatory for all travellers regardless of vaccination status. Should a traveller be recovered from COVID-19, but continues to test positive, a positive molecular test result of the specimen must be shown from 14-180 days before arrival in Canada for border crossing.
Post-entry COVID-19 Molecular Test
This test is only mandatory for unvaccinated travellers and immigrants to Canada (Note* Unvaccinated travellers and immigrants to Canada will not be permitted to enter unless granted an exception). Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers and immigrants will not be required to take a COVID-19 test post-arrival unless randomly selected to complete a Day-1 molecular test.
Temperature Measurement Requirement
Effective August 9, 2021, the requirement for pre-board temperature measurement will be lifted for both domestic and international flights.
Quarantine Requirements
For Vaccinated Travellers
As of August 9, the government-authorized hotel stay will be lifted. Self-quarantine will not be necessary for fully vaccinated travellers and immigrants to Canada, given all requirements are met at the border.
For Unvaccinated Travellers
Such travellers and immigrants to Canada will still be required to complete a Day 1 and Day 8 COVID-19 molecular test and must be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival.
Children under the age of 12 years
Such travellers will not be required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination status however, will be required to adhere to strict public health measures. Travelling with parents is permitted while joining large group settings is not prohibited for the first 14 days following arrival.
Unvaccinated children will however be required to take a molecular Day 1 and Day 8 test.
Extended Ban of Flights From India
Due to epidemiological reasons and advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, discretionary flights from India will not be permitted and will be postponed until August 21, 2021.
As of August 21, 2021, travellers and immigrants to Canada from India via indirect route will be required to take a pre-departure COVID-19 molecular test from a third country other than India before arriving in Canada.
To Recap,
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As of August 9th, 2021, Canadian borders will be opened to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents
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As of September 7th, 2021, Canadian borders will be opened to fully vaccinated, international travellers from all countries excluding India
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As of August 21, 2021, discretionary travellers will be able to cross Canadian borders from India
Although COVID-19 has changed the course of modern travel, Canada continues to keep its doors open to travellers and immigrants. Nevertheless, obtaining your Canadian visa and your journey of immigrating to Canada is here and closer than ever!
Contact us today for more information on how we can make your immigration journey as seamless as possible in 2021!
