Canada Immigration

COVID-19 entry restrictions to Canada: The latest updates

Published

11 months ago

August 15, 2021

COVID-19 entry restrictions to Canada: The latest updates

Travel to Canada for non-essential reasons is currently prohibited. Especially from India and Pakistan. However, from August 9, Canada will open its borders to vaccinated U.S. citizens. Almost less than a month later, from September 7, vaccinated foreigners from all countries will be able to enter Canadian territory.

In the following sections, you can check all the news regarding travel restrictions for Canada, as well as the current coronavirus situation in the country.

Entry requirements to Canada during the pandemic

To enter Canada by air, eligible travelers must:

Present a negative result of a COVID-19 test, performed within 72 hours of the scheduled time of departure of the trip to Canada.
Register in the ArriveCan app to provide your travel information and your vaccination data if you have received the vaccine. Registration must be made no later than 72 hours before arrival.
Once at the Canadian airport, another COVID-19 test must be performed.
It is mandatory to book in advance a stay of at least 3 days in an approved hotel to wait for the result of that test.

Household isolation of 14 days remains mandatory for citizens entering the country.

After testing upon arrival, you will receive a COVID sample collection kit at home. You must use it on day 8 of your mandatory quarantine.

At the moment, no exemptions apply to vaccinated citizens.

ArriveCan: what information should I provide before traveling?

All travelers must send the following information electronically through the ArriveCan application:

Travel and contact information
Positive or negative COVID-19 test information (where applicable)
Quarantine plan (unless exempt from the mandatory quarantine requirement)
Vaccine information, if applicable
Self-assessment of symptoms of COVID-19
Travel history of the countries visited within the 14-day period before arriving in Canada

Who can enter Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The latest data published by the Canadian government indicated that they can currently travel and enter Canada only:

Canadian citizens.
Permanent residents of Canada.
Passengers who do not need to obtain a temporary resident visa and their immediate family members.
Passengers with a refugee travel document.
Foreign citizens, including citizens of the United States, only if they are eligible.

Vaccinated foreigners can enter Canada

As of September 7, Canada reopens its borders to third-country nationals who have received a vaccine approved by the Canadian government. The vaccine must have been received at least 14 days before the date of entry.

The vaccines approved by Canada are:

Modern
Pfizer-BioNTech
AstraZeneca
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)

The United States and Canada will reopen their borders mutually from August 9. From this date, the airports of Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton will begin to receive international flights.

In order to enter Canadian territory, those vaccinated must be prepared to:

Present proof of vaccination through the ArriveCAN portal or application
Comply with pre-entry test requirements
Be asymptomatic on arrival
Have a quarantine plan on hand (if necessary)

Relatives of Canadians traveling to Canada

Immediate family members of Canadian citizens (spouse or legal partner, dependent minor, legal guardian, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother) or permanent residents may enter Canada only if they can demonstrate that:

They are, in fact, a direct relative of a Canadian citizen.
They are permanent residents.
They will stay in Canada for a minimum of 15 days.
The reason for your trip is not for tourism or leisure.

In addition, it is mandatory to have a quarantine plan that details how the 14-day quarantine is planned upon arrival in the country.

Other exceptions to restrictions on entry to Canada

Other foreign citizens who wish to travel to Canada must be part of one of the following groups:

Passengers arriving from the U.S. for a purpose other than tourism (for example, temporary foreign workers, some international students, etc.).
French nationals who reside in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and who have only been in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, USA or Canada in the last 14 days. They must travel for an essential purpose and not for sightseeing.
Indian nationals registered in the Indian Act.
Students studying in Canada.
Persons in a protected situation.
Airline crew.
Merchant sailors.

SEE ALSO: Types of Visa to enter Canada

Mandatory quarantine exemptions

In the following cases the traveler may be exempt from the mandatory quarantine requirements:

Travelers who provide essential services
Those who are receiving medical care within 36 hours of their entry into Canada (not related to COVID-19)
If you regularly cross the border to work (daily or weekly)
Students who regularly cross the border to attend school (one or more days a week)
If you live in an integrated cross-border community

COVID test exemption on arrival in Canada

There are only a limited number of exceptions where additional testing is not required after landing in Canada:

People recovered from COVID-19: they must have molecular tests with a positive result between 14 and 90 days before the trip.
Children who are four years of age or younger
Diplomatic or consular messengers
Travelers with diplomatic, official and courtesy visas
People who boarded a medical evacuation flight
Persons or groups of national interest determined by the Minister of Health
Extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances (consult the Canadian Government website)
Persons who were exempt from quarantine requirements

Mandatory requirements for entry to Canada during COVID-19

Regardless of whether they meet the entry requirements, those who have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) cannot travel to Canada until:

Prove that you are not symptomatic.
Present a medical certificate confirming that they do not carry the virus.

In turn, travelers who meet the eligibility criteria can access Canada from a foreign country only through the following Canadian airports:

Calgary (YYC)
Montreal (YUL)
Toronto (YYZ)
Vancouver (YVR).

Is there a risk of traveling to Canada during the pandemic?

The risk for foreign visitors who decide to travel to Canada of contracting coronavirus on Canadian territory is generally low today.

If you arrive from one of the countries at risk or with a large number of cases, before the lifting of the travel restrictions, keep in mind that:

You will be denied access to the country and you will have to return to your country of origin.
You will be forced to perform a mandatory quarantine at a designated location in Canada.

What to do if I’m currently traveling in Canada?

In the event that you can enter the country without problems, make sure at all times that you do not have fever, cough, or difficulty breathing for the first 14 days after your arrival in Canada.

If you have any of the symptoms mentioned, call the public health authority of the Canadian province or territory in which you are as soon as possible.

If you come from any country other than the U.S. or Canada or have recently been to China, Iran, Italy, or Spain in the last 14 days, it is best to rule out the option of traveling to Canada (unless you meet the exceptions mentioned above).

If you enter the country with any of these conditions, you will be obliged to communicate it to the local public health authority of the Canadian province or territory in which you are within a maximum period of 24 hours (from your entry into Canada).

Is it possible to apply for a Canadian eTA during COVID-19?

Despite travel restrictions to Canada for tourism reasons, please note that it is currently possible to apply for a Canadian eTA at any time.

Fill out the eligibility form to travel to Canada

To apply for an eTA in Canada during the pandemic, authorities have included a travel eligibility form to the country.

In the digital format, you must “send a travel exemption query.” Then, complete it with information such as:

Your email address
Detailing how you meet a travel exemption to come to Canada
Passport number
Dates on which you plan to travel
Current country of residence
If you have already booked your trip, you must provide your flight number, time and place of departure / arrival
You will have to upload the documentation to support your request
Do not include personal photographs

You will get a response within approximately 14 days.

Why hasn’t the eTA Canada process been suspended?

The processing of the Canadian eTA has not been suspended, since this travel authorization has a period of validity of 5 consecutive years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first.

Therefore, you will be able to process and obtain your Canadian eTA without any problem. The only drawback is that you will not be able to access Canada with your authorization until the Canadian travel restrictions are revoked.

If you want to make a trip to Canada for tourism or leisure reasons at this time, you will be denied entry to the country with a Canadian eTA.

We advise you to periodically review this page to find out all the news regarding entry restrictions to Canada.Process eTA Canada

When will it be possible to travel to Canada with an eTA?

The decision to allow entry into Canada with an eTA will depend on how the coronavirus situation progresses in eligible countries.

It is recommended to be up to date with Canadian travel restrictions. If you consider it necessary, contact your Canadian embassy before flying.

I already have an eTA from Canada, can I continue to use it?

During the coronavirus pandemic, it is not possible to enter Canada with an approved Canadian eTA. Once the travel restrictions are revoked you will be able to enter the territory and use your eTA without any problem.

Remember that the validity of your eTA is 5 years from the time of its approval, so it may be convenient for you to process it now and have your authorization approved.

However, we inform you that if your passport expires while your eTA is still in force, you will have to process a new Canadian eTA.

The reason is that your travel permit is electronically linked to your passport. Therefore, once your document expires, eTA Canada loses its validity. In this case, you will require another authorization to travel to the North American country.

To process a new Canadian eTA, the application process will be identical to the one you made to obtain your permission the first time:

Fill out the eTA Canada online form correctly
Make the payment of the corresponding fee

Recommended:

Canada Immigration

What languages are spoken in Canada

Published

6 months ago

January 12, 2022

FirstArisAdmin

Have you thought about living or traveling to Canada? If so, most likely one of your first questions is what languages are spoken in Canada and how to prepare yourself to face the linguistic challenges that this great destination presents.

In recent years, the Canadian immigration system has been recognized as one of the friendliest with students, professionals, and expatriates from different parts of the world, who come to Canada to meet their goals, start a new life and even learn a new language.

However, one of the commonly requested requirements to enter the country successfully, for reasons beyond tourism, is to know at least one of the languages spoken in Canada, so that you can guarantee a smooth social and cultural integration.

What languages are officially spoken in Canada? Are there minority languages? How do they differ from other languages we already know? Are there other countries where they are useful? All these doubts will be answered below.

Official languages spoken in Canada

Canada is known around the world for being an officially bilingual country, made up of two official languages:

English

The Anglo-Saxon language is one of the two main languages of the Canadian territory, being the mother tongue of more than 77% of the population and the language that around 86% of the inhabitants speak fluently.

A very common question is whether the English spoken in Canada is different from English of British or American origin; However, its spelling is sometimes described as a mixture of both, the vocabulary is more similar to that of United States English, and the variations of the single-use lexicon in Canada are very specific depending on the context.

French

The next official language of Canada is, of course, French, established by statutory decree in July 1969.

Today, French is the mother tongue of approximately 9 million Canadians, that is, 23% of the population of this country. Most of the Francophones live in the province of Quebec.

Minority languages of Canada

In addition to the official languages that coexist in the country, there are a series of minority languages that are spoken in the country thanks to the constant migratory movement that the nation has experienced for years.

The minority languages that are not officially recognized in Canada, but are still spoken daily by thousands of inhabitants of the Canadian territory are Spanish, Italian, German, Cantonese, Punjabi, Arabic, Dutch, and Tagalog.

In what other countries are the official languages of Canada spoken?

Due to the colonizing past of countries such as France and the United Kingdom, those who master the two official languages of Canada can communicate fluently in the official language of many countries on different continents.

On the one hand, English, in addition to being a language spoken by more than 1.13 billion people in the world, has been called the official language in more than 70 countries around the world. Among these countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, the Philippines, among many others, always stand out (the list is very long!).

On the French side, things are not far behind. The “language of love”, in addition to being the main language of France and Canada, maintains its official status in more than twenty nations and overseas territories.

Some territories where we can find French as an official language are: Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Republic of the Congo, Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Benin, Gabon, Chad, Haiti, Rwanda, Comoros, Burundi, Republic of Djibouti, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, and French Guyana.

Canada Immigration

Traveling to Canada with a Criminal Record

Published

6 months ago

January 6, 2022

FirstArisAdmin

Traveling to Canada with a Criminal Record

The requirements to travel to Canada with Mexican nationality changed in December 2016. All Mexican citizens wishing to visit Canada for a short stay must obtain the eTA before traveling.

The eTA is an electronic travel authorization. This automated system determines the eligibility of people who want to visit Canada. As a Mexican citizen, you can apply for the eTA online by completing a form and answering a series of security questions.

Necessary requirements to apply for the eTA with Mexican nationality:

Applying for the Canadian eTA is quick and easy. Among the requirements to obtain the eTA, travelers need:

A valid passport
A debit or credit card
An email address

Once the application has been completed with all the data, the applicant can proceed to answer a series of questions about his criminal record. To finish the process, you have to pay the eTA fee.

Do I need a Criminal Record Certificate to travel to Canada?

The Criminal Record certificate is not required to travel to Canada as a tourist. However, if you want to work in Canada, you may need to obtain a Criminal Record Certificate. In Mexico, you can complete the procedure online by completing a Request for a Certificate or Report of No Criminal History.

On the other hand, if you have a criminal record it is very important that you do not deny it when you apply for the eTA. In the Canadian travel authorization questionnaire, you must answer honestly all questions, including those about your criminal record. No matter how minor the crime, you are required to declare it on the eTA permit form.

Alternatives if eTA Canada is denied due to brush with the law

It is likely that having a criminal record the eTA will be denied as inadmissible in Canada. In this case, you can still apply for a visa through the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.

Before the travel authorization system was implemented, travelers from visa-exempt countries did not have to go through any electronic checks. You also didn’t have to answer questions about a criminal record. Migration controls were made upon arrival in Canada. As a result, there are many people who were able to enter Canada with a criminal record and went unnoticed.

It is worth mentioning that not all criminal records are equally serious. Still, the eTA serves as a screening mechanism to weed out people who might be criminally inadmissible in Canada.

If you have had interactions with the criminal justice system, you could benefit from a legal opinion letter to be able to apply for a visa to Canada and travel without problems. The legal opinion letter is a document that explains that the person with a criminal record is a respectable person and that they are an admissible person.

In some cases it may happen that the eTA is denied, this will depend on the severity of the history of each person. In case the eTA is denied due to the applicant’s criminal record, a temporary residence permit can be applied for, which would allow legal entry into the country.

Lying when completing the eTA is not recommended as this could have very serious consequences. Not only would the eTA not be granted but it could damage future possibilities of traveling to the North American country.

To process a Canadian visa with a criminal record it is important that:

Learn all the details of your conviction and the charge.
Gather as much information as possible about your conviction, including dates.
Complete the application correctly and with all the necessary documents.

Remember that the decision to grant you entry to Canada rests with the Canadian immigration agent who assists you upon arrival in the country. A serious criminal record can be a reason for denial of the Canadian eTA or entry into the country.

If you have a criminal record for crimes committed before the age of 18 you may still have the opportunity to be granted entry into Canada.

To be considered your application, despite having a criminal record, you must meet the following requirements:

Provide supporting documents that you comply with the legal terms to be considered rehabilitated :
- More than 5 years have elapsed since the crime and also since his final sentence
- Fully served his sentence
- Not likely to incur new crimes
- Had he committed the crime in Canada, he would have had a prison term of less than 10 years
Your request for rehabilitation was approved
You were granted a record suspension
You have a temporary residence permit

If you have a Mexican passport and a criminal record, it is recommended that you apply for criminal rehabilitation before submitting your eTA Canada petition. Once your confirmation of rehabilitation has been approved, you will be able to apply for a Canada eTA.

Contact an embassy or consulate for updated information and requirements. Please note that these requests can take more than a year to process.

The eTA is not a visa, it is a travel authorization to visit Canada for a certain time. The eTA is not designed for people who want to live, study or work in Canada.

Once the eTA is requested, it will be electronically linked to the passport, which is why it is essential to travel with the document with which the application was made.

Canada Immigration

Things Immigration Lawyers Won’t Tell You About Moving to Canada

Published

6 months ago

December 23, 2021

FirstArisAdmin

Things Immigration Lawyers Won’t Tell You About Moving to Canada

Before I enlighten you about things immigration lawyers won’t tell you, I’d like to give you a hint of the duties of an immigration lawyer. They basically work with corporations and employers to assist with helping clients understand the steps taken before they can be employed in Canada.

Immigration Lawyers are not gods

One thing immigration lawyers won’t tell you is that they are capable of failing when it comes to moving clients to Canada. Some tend to be transparent about it but most immigration lawyers won’t come clean on this.

They appear to their clients as gods and create a great picture of them in their hearts. They actually make mistakes too and sometimes lose cases. Most clients are aware of this fact, but when meeting an immigration lawyer they tend to put all hope on them.

Immigration Lawyers Have no Supreme Power Over Immigration Process

I’ve met people who think when meeting an immigration lawyer their problems are totally solved. If you have this mindset, I’ll advise you to unlearn it because immigration lawyers are no supreme body in the affairs of immigration.

They only stand-in for their clients in the process stage and convince corporations about employing their clients. Immigration lawyers won’t tell you they aren’t certain about the outcome but would assure you of total success in immigrating to Canada.

You can Process it Yourself Without the Assistance of an Immigration Lawyer

Most people know that they can actually do their immigration processing themselves. It is a known fact, but they hire immigration lawyers because of their professionalism in their field. They believe they can do more better than they are.

Immigration lawyers won’t tell you that there are some cases with a slim chance of achieving victory. They make their clients feel like they are capable of performing miracles and so encourage them to hit on the process.

Immigration Lawyers Won’t Tell You of Their Past Records

Some immigration lawyers have been disciplined for immoral conduct in the past but they would never tell you because you might want to look elsewhere. A major issue is that act misconduct taken by an immigration lawyer may ruin your case. Most people have gone through this experience because of a bad step taken by their lawyer.

Although some learn from their past mistakes, it is not 100% certain that he would not act in that light again. So, when going for a background check you should determine if you should work with or without the immigration lawyer.

Immigration Lawyers Won’t Tell You of the Case Load They Have on Deck

Some immigration lawyers can be extremely busy with a huge caseload on their hands. And oftentimes they do not reject cases but add more to their piles of work.

Immigration lawyers won’t tell you about this and it can cause a low commitment to your immigration process as they do not pay the necessary attention that ought to be paid to your immigration process. Every case ought to be given much attention in other to produce the best result.

While searching for an immigration lawyer ensure you take note of what to expect and also ask questions on the process in order to avoid getting an unexpected result.