Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that immediate family members are now able to enter Canada. The measure was effective on June 8, 2020 at 11:59 PM EDT.
All eligible foreign nationals are now able to enter Canada, as the exemption is no longer limited to travelers entering Canada from the US. This means those who qualify for the exemption may enter, irrespective of their country of origin.
If you are an immediate family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and have not contracted COVID-19 nor exhibited any symptoms of the virus, you are now eligible to enter Canada. You may enter Canada if your visit is at least 15 days long, and upon entry, you must adhere to mandatory self-quarantine for 14 days.
Immediate family is defined as:
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Dependent children
- Parent or step-parent
- Guardian
Unfortunately, this exemption is not applicable for family members of temporary residents in Canada. At present, only family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents can be reunited with their families.
On May 29, Trudeau announced that support from the provincial government was necessary in easing restrictions for immediate family. In a briefing that followed shortly after Trudeau’s announcement, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed that the federal government was indeed able to secure support from the provinces.
Mendocino noted that while the new exemption was to help bring families closer, the federal government would not allow short-term trips in order to protect the health and safety of Canadians.
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Canada has implemented a number of special immigration measures aimed to facilitate processing of immmigration applications and the movement of people during the pandemic.
