We recognize that the travel restrictions will have an impact on many people who can’t travel to Canada right now. These restrictions stop most non-essentialFootnote1 (discretionary) travel to Canada.
Travelling to Canada: health check and quarantine
If you’re travelling by air, you need to follow all airline requirements and pass a health check conducted by airlines before you’re allowed to board your flight. Anyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada by air.
When you arrive in Canada, we’ll assess your health before you leave the port of entry. You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada. This is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms. If you don’t have a plan, you should not travel to Canada.
Only people who provide essential services, for example, truck drivers who regularly cross the border to maintain the flow of goods, are exempt from the quarantine requirements.
Permanent residence applications that we’re still processing
Due to the impacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we can’t
- process applications normally
- provide accurate processing times
We’re prioritizing some applications, including
- Canadians trying to return to Canada
- vulnerable people
- people who perform or support essential services
If you are missing documents due to COVID-19 (such as police certificates, biometrics, passports and medical exams)
- we won’t close or refuse any applications in progress
- we’ll automatically give you an extra 90 days to send us the documents from the deadline in the request letter
- this applies even if the letter says you only have 30 or 90 days
- we’ll keep extending the deadline for another 90 days until you can get the documents
- you don’t have to contact us to get this extension
- once you’re able to, send us the missing documents as soon as possible to avoid further delays
Some steps you may not be able to complete right now include
- submitting your passport or supporting documents, such as a police certificate
- completing an immigration medical exam
If you get your language test results or educational credential assessment report by email or electronically, we’ll accept them as part of your application.
If we already approved your permanent resident application
If you’re outside Canada
If you come to Canada, make sure you’re exempt from the travel restrictions. You won’t be allowed to enter Canada right now if you’re travelling for reasons like:
- tourism
- recreation
- entertainment
- to finalize your permanent residence application but not settle here yet
These are not valid reasons to come to Canada right now.
If you’re travelling by air, you need to pass a health check conducted by the airline before boarding a flight. If you show symptoms of COVID-19, you won’t be allowed to board.
Quarantine plan
You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive. This is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms. If you don’t have a plan or the ability to quarantine as soon as you arrive, you shouldn’t travel to Canada.
We don’t give you with a place to quarantine when you arrive. You need to make your own arrangements in advance.
Travelling from any country other than the US
If we issued your confirmation of permanent residence (CoPR) on or before March 18, 2020, you
- are exempt from the travel restrictions and
- can travel to Canada with your CoPR to settle and live in Canada as a permanent resident
Check the issue date in the Application Details section of your CoPR to see if this applies to you.
Travelling from the US
You can travel to Canada from the United States to settle and live in Canada as a permanent resident if
- we approved your application and
- we sent you a CoPR
Approved permanent resident applicants with expired or expiring documents
If you’re outside Canada
If we already approved your permanent resident application, but you can’t travel to Canada before your documents expire, or your documents have already expired, don’t contact us until you’re ready to travel to Canada.
When you’re ready to travel to Canada
Use the Web form to let us know when, and the reason(s) why. The next steps will depend on your situation.
You can come to Canada and become a permanent resident now if you plan to stay and settle here. If you’re planning on coming temporarily and leaving again, you can’t do that right now unless you meet a different travel exemption. Also:
- when you arrive, you must have an acceptable plan to quarantine for 14 days in Canada, including how you will get to the place you’re staying
- all family members included in the application should travel to Canada at the same time, if possible
- you should have a confirmed travel plan (for example, plane tickets) or you must be willing to book and confirm travel plans as soon as approved