Effective September 7, Canada has opened its borders for all international travellers who are fully vaccinated and meet the exemption requirements.
Find out if you can travel to Canada and what measures are in place:
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Immigration programs beyond the Express Entry
There are over 100 programs. On the provincial and community level, there are 64 provincial nominee programs and 11 community programs for workers and international students. A job offer is usually needed but there are a few exceptions. For business immigrants, there are 21 provincial nominee programs.
On the federal level, there is a program for caretakers and some pilot programs for foreign workers and international students. For business immigrants, there are also two business programs (self-employed and start-up visa).
These permanent residence programs all lead directly to Permanent Residency. But there are also temporary residence programs that can eventually lead to permanent residency. If you like to learn more book an initial consultation.
Parents and grandparents sponsorship 2021- 30,000 invitations starting September 20, 2021
Using the same random selection process as used in previous years, IRCC will send invitations to potential sponsors who have already submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and were not invited in 2020. Invitations to apply will be sent over the course of 2 weeks, starting the week of September 20, 2021. The selected potential sponsors will have their income assessed for tax years 2020, 2019 and 2018. This is the same as those who applied as part of the 2020 intake. Applications can be submitted using the new Permanent Resident Digital Intake tool.
Invitations will be sent over the course of 2 weeks, starting the week of September 20, 2021. Those who are invited to apply will have 60 days to submit the application. Selected potential sponsors will have their income assessed for tax years 2020, 2019 and 2018. This is the same as those who applied as part of the 2020 intake.
In order to confirm whether they’ve been selected, potential sponsors should check the email account they used to submit their 2020 interest to sponsor form. They will also be able to check their status online using their 2020 confirmation number. Further details will be posted on IRCC’s website in the coming weeks for those who no longer have access to their email account.
Misplaced confirmation numbers can be retrieved using the Lost My Confirmation Number tool, which will be available online once all the invitations have been sent.
There will be no new Expression of Interest Intake accepted for 2021.
You can read the full announcement here.
Canada plans to open borders to fully vaccinated travellers
Starting Aug. 9 at 12:01 a.m. ET. — fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents living in the US will be able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks.
Canada also plans to open Canada’s borders to fully vaccinated travellers from all other countries on Sept. 7.
And as of Aug. 9, children under 12 — who aren’t yet approved to receive a vaccine — will be exempt from the quarantine requirement after entering Canada and can move around with their parents if they follow public health measures.
The details will be published on the official website: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
New open work permit available for TR to PR applicants
Starting July 26, 2021, TR to PR pathway applicants will be eligible for an open work permit while their application is being processed.
To qualify for this one-time open work permit, you must show that at the time you submitted successfully an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams:
- held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit,
- were employed in any occupation and
- met the language requirements of the stream under which you applied.
You must also show that at the time you submit your open work permit, you:
- are in Canada and
- hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months or
- have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore your status.
Exemptions for eligible fully vaccinated travellers to Canada
Starting July 5, fully vaccinated travellers might qualify for certain exemptions to quarantine and testing requirements.
To qualify you must:
- be eligible to enter Canada. More information about who is eligible to travel to Canada you will find on the website of travel.gc.ca and we recommend using the wizard: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/wizard-start.
- be asymptomatic
- meet the Government of Canada requirements of fully vaccinated travellers
- meet all other entry requirements, including entering your information in ArriveCAN before arrival
Those who meet the requirements may be exempt from 14 days quarantine, the mandatory hotel stopover and the day-8 testing requirement.
To be considered fully vaccinated you must:
- have received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of accepted vaccines
- have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to the day you enter Canada
For example: if your last dose was anytime on Thursday, July 1st, then Thursday, July 15th would be the first day that you meet the 14-day condition - upload your proof of vaccination in ArriveCAN
Currently accepted COVID-19 vaccines are:
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
- AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccine
- Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine – single dose
The list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future. You can find the most current list here: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada
Fully vaccinated travellers must still follow the entry requirements:
- Pre-entry testing for travellers
- Quarantine plan
You must have a suitable quarantine plan where you can stay for at least 14 days. This is required even if you are seeking the fully vaccinated exemption.
The final determination is made by a government representative at the border based on the information you present at the time of entry into Canada. You must, therefore, be prepared to quarantine for 14 days, in case you: are symptomatic or don’t meet the requirements.
More information you find here: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
If you need our assistance please contact us by email or book a consultation.
No need to flagpole when you have a Letter of Introduction for a Study Permit or Work Permit
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, you can’t leave and re-enter Canada to present your letter of Introduction for examination (in other words, you can’t travel to a port of entry to flagpole or travel to another country and return). Therefore, IRCC has developed a process to conduct the examination and issuance of the work or study permit. This pilot process is now in place until August 31, 2021. More information on the website of IRCC.
BC PNP Tech Pilot extended indefinitely
The BC PNP Tech Pilot just became BC PNP Tech. The BC PNP Tech offers people in 29 tech occupations a prioritized pathway to permanent residency.
BC PNP Tech helps employers address their talent needs by providing a fast-tracked, permanent immigration pathway for in-demand foreign workers and international students. The complete list of the 29 in-demand tech occupations can be downloaded from the BC PNP website. The job offer must be for at least one year (365 days), and the job offer must have at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP. More information on the BC PNP Website
Temporary Permanent Resident Pathways for Hong Kong Residents
As of June 1, 2021, until August 31, 2026, Hong Kong residents in Canada can apply for permanent residence if they fall under 1 of the 2 streams:
Stream A: Graduation with a degree, diploma (2 years or longer), or graduate or post-graduate credential (1 year or longer) from a post-secondary learning institution in Canada in the last 3 years or
Stream B: Graduation with a degree, diploma (2 years or longer), or graduate or post-graduate credential (1 year or longer) from a post-secondary learning institution in Canada or abroad in the last 5 years, plus 1 year of in-Canada work experience within the last 3 years
This public policy is part of a number of facilitative measures put in place to support Hong Kong residents who are seeking alternatives to remaining in or returning to Hong Kong.
More information on the website of IRCC.
TR to PR pathway – clarification on current employment and 1 year work experience
IRCC finally published how they will assess the application against the policy conditions. Although most information can be found in the guide and the published policy, a few points remained open or were open for interpretation. We received a few questions about the current employment and the 1-year full-time work experience.
Current employment
Principal applicants must be currently working in order to be eligible for this public policy.
Current employment
- must be in Canada
- can be in any occupation listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- must be authorized
- must be paid in wages or commission
- does not include self-employment, unless the applicant is working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority
The lock-in date to determine “currently employed” is the date the application is received by IRCC.
There are no requirements that the current employment is full-time or permanent and applicants do not need to remain employed throughout the processing of the application.
All principal applicants must reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their status) and be physically present in Canada when the application for permanent residence is received and when the application is approved. Foreign nationals who do not currently have temporary resident status in Canada, such as refugee claimants, are not eligible for this public policy.
1-year full-time work experience
The 1 year of work experience can be acquired through multiple periods of employment but must equal at least 1,560 hours in the 3 years before the application for permanent residence is received. Work experience must be acquired over a period of at least 1 year; work in excess of 30 hours per week over a shorter period cannot compensate for any shorter overall period of experience.
