EXEO Attorneys | Canada & U.S. Immigration Update: February 2022

The following is a summary of updates regarding travel restrictions as of February 22, 2022 and applicable health regulations for Canada and the United States.

End of negative PCR testing for COVID-19 upon arrival in Canada

Effective February 28, 2022, properly vaccinated travellers entering Canada by air or land will be exempt from presenting a negative PCR test to Canadian Customs. They will only need to present a negative antigen test within 24 hours of their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border.

Properly vaccinated travellers may still be randomly selected for PCR testing upon arrival at the airport. However, they will no longer be required to isolate themselves until their results are available.

Children under 12 years of age who are not fully vaccinated and are travelling with an appropriately vaccinated adult will no longer be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Canada.

Entry into Canada for unvaccinated travellerswho meet the entry requirements remains unchanged. The fourteen (14) day quarantine is still applicable as well as a PCR test upon arrival, followed by another test on day eight of the quarantine.

Major Delays and Delays at IRCC

People who have applied for temporary status (work permits, study permits and visitor visas) and permanent status (particularly economic workers and business people from Quebec) are experiencing major delays in receiving a response.

These lengthy waits have been repeatedly justified by the federal government as a result of the pandemic, the teleworking of IRCC officers and an outdated computer system.

“As of February 1st, 88,859 people wanting to settle in Quebec are waiting to obtain their permanent residency, sometimes for many years. This situation is a source of anger and incomprehension for many immigrants.

Nearly half of this inventory, or about 40,000 people, concerns economic immigration, a sector dear to the Quebec government.”

However, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recently promised to optimize Canada’s immigration system. In fact, more than $85 million has been invested in “reducing the backlog of immigration and citizenship applications”.

²Romain, Schué, Près de 90 000 futurs Québécois attendent des réponses d’immigration Canada, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1862354/immigration-quebec-ottawa-delai-traitement-canada?fromApp=appInfoIos&partageApp=appInfoiOS&accesVia=partage.

End of the Canadian government’s recommendation to avoid all non-essential travel

As of February 28, 2022, the Canadian government will drop its recommendation to avoid all non-essential travel. That being said, all Canadian airports designated by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to receive international flights will now be authorized to receive them.

Disclosure of immigration targets between 2022 and 2024

The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship recently released its annual report outlining Canada’s ambitious new immigration targets for 2022 to 2024.

These new targets are designed to encourage the contribution of newcomers to our communities and to all sectors of the economy. In particular, Canada plans to welcome more than 431,000 new permanent residents this year, while admitting over 1.3 million immigrants by 2024.

REMINDER: ARRIVECAN and PCR testing

Installation of the ArriveCan application is also still mandatory for travelers entering Canada by land or air. The information must be entered within 72 hours prior to travel.

Please note that even for a land border post tour, this is required or a mandatory 14-day quarantine may be imposed, even for fully vaccinated travelers.

Special travel authorization letters exempting immediate and extended family members from current travel restrictions will no longer be required

Foreign nationals wishing to join or accompany a family member to Canada must qualify as vaccinated travelers or as one of the limited exemptions to enter the country, as of January 15, 2022.

To determine if you meet the requirements for entry into Canada, visit the following link: https://voyage.gc.ca/voyage-covid/voyage-restrictions/debut-assistant?_ga=2.48611046.1990984024.1641825896-824312059.1634564826

Compliments of EXEO Attorneys – a member of the EACCNY.