Though not exempt at this time (Mar 24th 2020), Temporary Foreign Workers will be permitted to travel to Canada, with further details to be announced later this week. 

The Government of Canada has just released updates how COVID-19 is affecting Canada. The travel ban, announced on March 16th, 2020, is in effect until June 30th, 2020. It bars all non-essential travel to Canada for foreign nationals with few exceptions. To see the restrictions in place at the Canadian air, land, and marine borders until June 30th, 2020, please visit this link to see the update: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/canadas-reponse.html#acbp 

However, there will be exemptions for Temporary Foreign Workers as noted on the update from the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) website on Mar 24th, 2020. 

Directly from the release: 

What is the impact on Temporary Foreign Workers? 

“Workers, students and approved permanent residents who haven’t landed should not travel yet. We’ve announced exemptions but they’re not in place. Travel restrictions are still in effect for these groups. 

As announced on March 20, 2020, all temporary foreign workers will be able to travel to Canada by air or land. They will be exempt from the air travel restrictions announced on March 16, 2020, as well as border restrictions. Those affected by these exemptions should not try to travel to Canada immediately. We will announce when the exemptions are in place, which we anticipate will be early during the week of March 22, 2020.” 

Like all travelers, including Canadian citizens and permanent residents, temporary foreign workers who enter Canada by air or land will undergo the necessary health checks and must isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Canada. 

In addition, a temporary modification is being made to the Labour Market Impact Assessment process for agriculture and food-processing employers, as the required 2-week recruitment period will be waived for the next 6 months. We are also increasing the maximum allowable employment duration for workers in the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program from 1 to 2 years. This will improve flexibility and reduce the administrative burden for employers, including those in food processing.” 

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-special-measures.html 

The exemptions are not yet in place and will be announced this week. Until then, we can rest easy knowing that Temporary Foreign Workers will not be subject to the travel ban and the government realizes the critical role Temporary Foreign Workers play in our economy. At this time, no travel should be planned to Canada for Temporary Foreign Workers until the IRCC and Government announces when these exemptions are in place, which should be this week.

Contact Us

CIVS Canada Immigration and Visa Services are proudly partnered with Canoscope Immigration and Education.  Together, we work as a team offering professional immigration services through our executive team with Offices in Vancouver-Surrey, BC, Calgary, Alberta, and New Delhi, India. The CIVS Canoscope team is led by:  

Sean G McKinsley, Managing Partner, CIVS  

Nikola Misina, Partner, CIVS  

Steven J Paolasini, Vice President, CIVS  

Robin Kapoor, Managing Director, Canoscope  

Micky Singh, Executive Director for Marketing, Canoscope