Canada will exclude immediate family members from travel restrictions on coronavirus. Those who enter Canada still have to abide by 14-day self-quarantine law.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that immediate family members will be able to reach Canada with the effect from June 8, 2020, at 11:59 PM EDT
This exception is not limited to qualifying travellers coming from the United States into Canada but also applies to all eligible foreign nationals, regardless of the country from which they enter into Canada. The announcement came during Trudeau's daily briefing on coronavirus.
Foreign nationals who are the immediate family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and neither have COVID-19 nor show any symptoms of the virus present are free to enter Canada/
They will be able to enter Canada as long as the visit is for at least 15 days long or more and, upon entering Canada, they have to self-quarantine by law for 14 days.
Immediate Family is described as:
• Spouse or common-law partner
• Dependent children
• Parent or step-parent
• Guardian or Tutor
That exemption does not apply to Canadian temporary residents. The family can only be reunited with Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Trudeau noted on May 29 that the federal government was considering easing immediate family restrictions, although it needed support from its provincial counterparts.
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino stated in a follow-up briefing several minutes after Trudeau’s announcement that the federal government was effectively receiving such support from the provinces.
Mendicino said this new family exemption was to bring families closer together but the federal government would not allow short-term trips. This is intended to protect Canadians' health and safety.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, Canada has implemented a variety of special immigration measures. Numerous steps aimed at promoting the process of immigration applications and the movements of people during the pandemic.
