Corona Virus threat to Travel , COPR expires on 24th April 2020

[Jeev2020]

Hi quick question - I read somewhere (I cant find it now) that foreign nationals (holding valid CoPRs) residing in USA can enter Canada, provided that they haven't been to another country in the past 14 days. Is this information correct?

i.e. We are Indian nationals and valid CoPR holders (valid till 25 April), who recently moved to the US for work (on March 14)......if let's say by 7th April ( /+14 days of residing in the US) we try to enter Canada for a soft landing, would this be permitted?

Any foreign nationals holding valid CoPRs in the US in the same situation?

Any response would be most appreciated.

Ok.. wait I found it - here is where I picked the information from:

Banning entry of foreign nationals by air travel from all countries except the U.S.
Under the Aeronautics Act, the Minister of Transport will require air carriers on flights to Canada to deny boarding to any passenger who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and has resided in any country other than the U.S. in the last 14 days.

For practical purposes, the denial of boarding would apply to:

• all foreign nationals on flights to Canada other than trans-border flights, and
• any foreign national on a trans-border flight who has resided outside the US and Canada in the last 14 days.

In simple terms, you cannot board a plane to Canada if you have been outside of Canada or the United States in the last 14 days, unless you are a Canadian Citizen, Canadian Permanent Resident or in transit to a 3rd country.

The measure will come into force on Wednesday, March 18, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT. It would not apply to air crews, travelers arriving in Canada in transit to a third country, Canadian Permanent Residents, diplomats, or immediate family members of Canadian citizens.

As this measure applies to travel by air, it does not apply to surface traffic or marine shipping.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2020/03/new-measures-for-covid-19-response.html

 

[nicolasf]

https://www.canadavisa.com/coronavirus-covid-19-impact-canada-immigration-visa-border-latest-news.html#gs.078lgg

2. Can I travel to Canada if my permanent residence application has been approved?
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), individuals who are in possession of a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) and permanent resident visa (PRV) are allowed to travel to Canada. Individuals are instructed to contact IRCC via its web form if their COPR and PRV expires, or is about to expire, due to their inability to travel to Canada due to COVID-19. In such cases, IRCC will re-open the permanent residence applications of such individuals for review in 90 days.

Well, now what.... This is becoming extremely confusing. So can a CoPR holder who CAN board a plane to Canada, be allowed to do his landing and enter Canada??

 

[Huda_suddiqui]

https://www.canadavisa.com/coronavirus-covid-19-impact-canada-immigration-visa-border-latest-news.html#gs.078lgg

2. Can I travel to Canada if my permanent residence application has been approved?
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), individuals who are in possession of a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) and permanent resident visa (PRV) are allowed to travel to Canada. Individuals are instructed to contact IRCC via its web form if their COPR and PRV expires, or is about to expire, due to their inability to travel to Canada due to COVID-19. In such cases, IRCC will re-open the permanent residence applications of such individuals for review in 90 days.

Well, now what.... This is becoming extremely confusing. So can a CoPR holder who CAN board a plane to Canada, be allowed to do his landing and enter Canada??

According to this, I would yes. But this information wasn’t available yesterday otherwise we would have not left. I think with every passing day we will get more information about it.

 

[canuck78]

According to this, I would yes. But this information wasn’t available yesterday otherwise we would have not left. I think with every passing day we will get more information about it.

This isn’t straight from IRCC. Would like to see the statement directly from them.

 

[nicolasf]

This isn’t straight from IRCC. Would like to see the statement directly from them.

Exactly. The only statemetn from IRCC so far is that people with CoPR who cannot travel needs to fill a web form. There is no mention regarding those who can actually fly over to Canada...

 

[Huda_suddiqui]

This isn’t straight from IRCC. Would like to see the statement directly from them.

Yes you are right. I have just seen it’s not from IRCC direcly

 

[Hrishi2704]

Ok.. wait I found it - here is where I picked the information from:

Banning entry of foreign nationals by air travel from all countries except the U.S.
Under the Aeronautics Act, the Minister of Transport will require air carriers on flights to Canada to deny boarding to any passenger who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and has resided in any country other than the U.S. in the last 14 days.

For practical purposes, the denial of boarding would apply to:

• all foreign nationals on flights to Canada other than trans-border flights, and
• any foreign national on a trans-border flight who has resided outside the US and Canada in the last 14 days.

In simple terms, you cannot board a plane to Canada if you have been outside of Canada or the United States in the last 14 days, unless you are a Canadian Citizen, Canadian Permanent Resident or in transit to a 3rd country.

The measure will come into force on Wednesday, March 18, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT. It would not apply to air crews, travelers arriving in Canada in transit to a third country, Canadian Permanent Residents, diplomats, or immediate family members of Canadian citizens.

As this measure applies to travel by air, it does not apply to surface traffic or marine shipping.

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2020/03/new-measures-for-covid-19-response.html

I read that too and had posted about it. I am in the same situation. I am an Indian Citizen residing in the US. I have not left the US since last 4 years. Hence, I was wondering if I can complete the landing process, as I do seem to meet the criteria mentioned in those regulations.

Do you think we can ask someone about it?
- calling CBSA?
- Or raising a Webform?

I am planning to complete my landing in April as well.

- Rishi

 

[bellaluna]

I read that too and had posted about it. I am in the same situation. I am an Indian Citizen residing in the US. I have not left the US since last 4 years. Hence, I was wondering if I can complete the landing process, as I do seem to meet the criteria mentioned in those regulations.

Do you think we can ask someone about it?
- calling CBSA?
- Or raising a Webform?

I am planning to complete my landing in April as well.

- Rishi

There is expected to be another announcement today that will ban ALL non-essential travel between Canada and the US. The situation is escalating very quickly.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-us-border-1.5501201

In the meantime, your best bet is to use the Webform, as instructed. Pretty sure any deadlines on landing during the covid-19 shutdown period will be relaxed. For your own and everyone else's safety, you don't need to rush.

 

[Hrishi2704]

There is expected to be another announcement today that will ban ALL non-essential travel between Canada and the US. The situation is escalating very quickly.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-us-border-1.5501201

In the meantime, your best bet is to use the Webform, as instructed. Pretty sure any deadlines on landing during the covid-19 shutdown period will be relaxed. For your own and everyone else's safety, you don't need to rush.

Thank you @bellaluna for your insight. Just read that and it makes sense. Though the article talks mostly about cross-border shoppers, they most probably would consider "people with CoPR" as non-essential as well, given the situation. I am also not in favor of traveling during this period jeopardizing my own or someone else's health. However, I wanted to make that move sooner than later (taking a health risk) owing to my VISA situation in the US. I have some fast approaching deadlines with my VISA here. But guess there's nothing much we can do about it.

Yes, I think I'll just raise a Webform and see what they say.

CC: @Jeev2020

 

[niti_ydv]

Thank you @bellaluna for your insight. Just read that and it makes sense. Though the article talks mostly about cross-border shoppers, they most probably would consider "people with CoPR" as non-essential as well, given the situation. I am also not in favor of traveling during this period jeopardizing my own or someone else's health. However, I wanted to make that move sooner than later (taking a health risk) owing to my VISA situation in the US. I have some fast approaching deadlines with my VISA here. But guess there's nothing much we can do about it.

Yes, I think I'll just raise a Webform and see what they say.

CC: @Jeev2020

Hey. I am in the same boat as you. My husband's H1b visa has deadlines so we need to leave country soon. We were planning to land on COPR on April 2nd and settle there. We haven't travelled outside of USA in years. Please keep us updated if you hear anything on this.

 

[IamBlaze]

Hello everyone,
Just an update on our situation. We have landed and got the PR. Checked with the immigration officer about the travel ban and he said from Wednesday they will not allow anyone to except for PR and Canadian citizen and their immediate family member. He said that the airline will not let them board the plane in the first place. Good luck to all of you. We have a return flight on Thursday back to heathrow so keeping finger crossed. The acknowledgement for self isolation for 14 days on the screen is for only pr holder and Canadian citizen as they were in a separate queue. We were just given brochure like everyone else for covid-19 and had to acknowledge verbally that we have been recommended to stay in self-isolation for 14 days. So hopefully we should be able to come back to uk. I have two small kids so it would be really difficult if they didn’t allow us. Again I will keep you all posted. We tried to cancel our flight but AirCanada was not willing to give us a refund as we are travelling before the ban become effective hence we took the chance. I am pretty sure that IRCC would update their website soon and there are so many ppl across the globe affected by this uncertainty.

So does that mean the immediate family of PR will also be allowed? I wish they would define what immediate family means too

 

[Hrishi2704]

Hey. I am in the same boat as you. My husband's H1b visa has deadlines so we need to leave country soon. We were planning to land on COPR on April 2nd and settle there. We haven't travelled outside of USA in years. Please keep us updated if you hear anything on this.

Thanks for your note Niti. We'll keep in touch here and will let you know if I get any concrete information. Meanwhile, we can wait a couple of days for any new regulations that US-Canada might publish; then raise a Webform based on that asking for more clarification.

As we get more responses from people in similar situations, I'll keep updating the CC list.

CC: @Jeev2020

 

[SonaCanada]

Guys,

I have received the acknowledgment email from the London visa office with lots of information... but in the last they have mentioned the below one.

Important Note: Those applicants whose instruction letters expire on March 16 or later will automatically receive extensions of 90 days from the date of expiry.

As this extension is automatic, please do not write to the visa office to request an extension or to request confirmation. We have insufficient resources available at the present time to respond to this type of inquiry.


My doubt is 'what does it mean the instruction letters, does it mean COPR'. Does anyone receive the same. Please update

 

[bellaluna]

Guys,

I have received the acknowledgment email from the London visa office with lots of information... but in the last they have mentioned the below one.

Important Note: Those applicants whose instruction letters expire on March 16 or later will automatically receive extensions of 90 days from the date of expiry.

As this extension is automatic, please do not write to the visa office to request an extension or to request confirmation. We have insufficient resources available at the present time to respond to this type of inquiry.


My doubt is 'what does it mean the instruction letters, does it mean COPR'. Does anyone receive the same. Please update

I would say it's requests for additional documents (e.g. police certificates, biometrics) and passports (for approved visas), and COPRs are another matter.

 

[sab24]

My wife (COPR holder - spousal sponsorship) landed today at 1pm Toronto time, and cleared immigration without any issue.