Too much confusion regarding travel/quarantine rules for immediate family members

[alvero]

I have found too many discrepancies on canada.ca concerning travel & quarantine restrictions regarding Immediate Family Members of Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (let's call this IFMOCCP for brevity).

I’m trying to answer the following questions for myself, but I genuinely cannot reach clear answers without reading contradicting statements on canada.ca. I am wondering if anyone has the same issue as me and has resolved it before I contact IRCC, because contacting them is not feasible, so that is my last option.

A. My foreign spouse has a valid TRV

• I am a Canadian Citizen, therefore, she is an IFMOCCP
• She has no symptoms of COVID, and we will assume she, myself, and anyone else mentioned in this post will have no symptoms of COVID and are COVID negative

B. I want her to come to Canada to live with me until her Outland PR application is approved, or she is no longer permitted to stay in Canada due to her maximum visitor status being reached (6 months + possible extension, which will be applied for)

• She will be coming for a non-essential reason (unless family reunification is an essential reason) and will be staying for more than 15 days
• Question 1: Is she eligible to come to Canada? (Yes, No)

C. Assuming she is eligible, I understand she must undergo mandatory quarantine. I would like to quarantine with her. I have two options in mind:

Option 1: I want her to live in the same home as me and my family (parents and siblings)​

• I would like to pick her up from the airport with my own car, return home and quarantine with her, in our basement, where we will have and had no physical contact with anyone for 14 days since her arrival at the airport. We have a bathroom in the basement, and food will be left at the door, etc. the details don't matter, our quarantine plan will be very clear and concise,
• My family will freely roam in and out of the house, but will not enter the basement.
• Question 2: Is this form of "quarantine" allowed? (Yes, No)

Option 2: Assuming she can come, but cannot live in the same home as my family​

• I would like to quarantine with her at an AirBnB or rental property, keeping in mind the above, where we will have no physical contact with anyone for 14 days.
• Question 3: Is this form of "quarantine" allowed? (Yes, No)

I am mainly looking for educated responses from people who have actually consulted canada.ca documentation regarding COVID-19, or people who have personally encountered and resolved this issue.

 

[Qwertypod]

I think you are just way overthinking things. There is no need for long abbreviations as most people on this forum have been discussing these situations nearly every day.

Yes, if she has a TRV she is exempt from travel restrictions. Your basement quarantine plan seems okay, but she needs to have all of this information typed out and on her person when she travels - as well as a marriage certificate.

 

[alvero]

I think you are just way overthinking things. There is no need for long abbreviations as most people on this forum have been discussing these situations nearly every day.

Yes, if she has a TRV she is exempt from travel restrictions. Your basement quarantine plan seems okay, but she needs to have all of this information typed out and on her person when she travels - as well as a marriage certificate.

Thanks.

 

[canuck78]

I think you are just way overthinking things. There is no need for long abbreviations as most people on this forum have been discussing these situations nearly every day.

Yes, if she has a TRV she is exempt from travel restrictions. Your basement quarantine plan seems okay, but she needs to have all of this information typed out and on her person when she travels - as well as a marriage certificate.

Agree that you quarantine plan 1 is fine. Unfortunately many are not as diligent as you are. Have seen many examples of people not understanding how to quarantine or the importance of quarantining. Lots of people feeling like staying inside for 14 days means staying away from crowds. Others sharing bathrooms with those who are quarantine. People quarantining with high risk individuals like seniors or pregnant women. Some ignoring quarantining altogether. There are certainly those who are responsible for following the rules but many don’t want to pay for an AirBnB if their home isn’t suitable for quarantine. A minority ruins it for the majority.

 

[alvero]

Agree that you quarantine plan 1 is fine. Unfortunately many are not as diligent as you are. Have seen many examples of people not understanding how to quarantine or the importance of quarantining. Lots of people feeling like staying inside for 14 days means staying away from crowds. Others sharing bathrooms with those who are quarantine. People quarantining with high risk individuals like seniors or pregnant women. Some ignoring quarantining altogether. There are certainly those who are responsible for following the rules but many don’t want to pay for an AirBnB if their home isn’t suitable for quarantine. A minority ruins it for the majority.

Totally agree.

 

[danilorniepes]

Hi guys, soon Myself (Closed WP) my wife (OWP) and 3 kids(Student Permit, Visitors -5 yrs old and my Daugher-American citizen) will be traveling to British Columbia;

I know aside to our visas we need the ff;

Letter of Introduction for WP ( I believe this will be automatically issued in the dashboard after visa stamping)
Written Authorization from IRCC - This one I am not sure yet, is this for us "entire family"? I was wondering any specific format?
Covid test
Quarantine Plan

I still have 2 months to gather all the required documents so any advice will be greatly appreciated

 

[canuck78]

Hi guys, soon Myself (Closed WP) my wife (OWP) and 3 kids(Student Permit, Visitors -5 yrs old and my Daugher-American citizen) will be traveling to British Columbia;

I know aside to our visas we need the ff;

Letter of Introduction for WP ( I believe this will be automatically issued in the dashboard after visa stamping)
Written Authorization from IRCC - This one I am not sure yet, is this for us "entire family"? I was wondering any specific format?
Covid test
Quarantine Plan

I still have 2 months to gather all the required documents so any advice will be greatly appreciated

You need special authorization for your wife and children because they currently don’t meet the travel restrictions unless your wife already has a job.

 

[ghrimm]

I have found too many discrepancies on canada.ca concerning travel & quarantine restrictions regarding Immediate Family Members of Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (let's call this IFMOCCP for brevity).

I’m trying to answer the following questions for myself, but I genuinely cannot reach clear answers without reading contradicting statements on canada.ca. I am wondering if anyone has the same issue as me and has resolved it before I contact IRCC, because contacting them is not feasible, so that is my last option.

A. My foreign spouse has a valid TRV

• I am a Canadian Citizen, therefore, she is an IFMOCCP
• She has no symptoms of COVID, and we will assume she, myself, and anyone else mentioned in this post will have no symptoms of COVID and are COVID negative

B. I want her to come to Canada to live with me until her Outland PR application is approved, or she is no longer permitted to stay in Canada due to her maximum visitor status being reached (6 months + possible extension, which will be applied for)

• She will be coming for a non-essential reason (unless family reunification is an essential reason) and will be staying for more than 15 days
• Question 1: Is she eligible to come to Canada? (Yes, No)

C. Assuming she is eligible, I understand she must undergo mandatory quarantine. I would like to quarantine with her. I have two options in mind:

Option 1: I want her to live in the same home as me and my family (parents and siblings)​

• I would like to pick her up from the airport with my own car, return home and quarantine with her, in our basement, where we will have and had no physical contact with anyone for 14 days since her arrival at the airport. We have a bathroom in the basement, and food will be left at the door, etc. the details don't matter, our quarantine plan will be very clear and concise,
• My family will freely roam in and out of the house, but will not enter the basement.
• Question 2: Is this form of "quarantine" allowed? (Yes, No)

Option 2: Assuming she can come, but cannot live in the same home as my family​

• I would like to quarantine with her at an AirBnB or rental property, keeping in mind the above, where we will have no physical contact with anyone for 14 days.
• Question 3: Is this form of "quarantine" allowed? (Yes, No)

I am mainly looking for educated responses from people who have actually consulted canada.ca documentation regarding COVID-19, or people who have personally encountered and resolved this issue.

Hi, I'm in a similar situation as you. My wife will be coming in Feb 2021 on a TRV and will be staying the 6 months that the TRV will allow. Can you please give us an update on what you ended up doing?

I don't live in a house but in a condo unit by myself. I would like to quarantine with my wife if possible. I work from home so I was thinking of stocking up on food and supplies for 14 days.

Did you end up picking up your wife from the airport using your own vehicle?

 

[canuck78]

Hi, I'm in a similar situation as you. My wife will be coming in Feb 2021 on a TRV and will be staying the 6 months that the TRV will allow. Can you please give us an update on what you ended up doing?

I don't live in a house but in a condo unit by myself. I would like to quarantine with my wife if possible. I work from home so I was thinking of stocking up on food and supplies for 14 days.

Did you end up picking up your wife from the airport using your own vehicle?

Based on the posted regulations you should not be quarantining with your spouse because if she is sick then you are very likely to be positive as well. Instead of the health system dealing with one person there is 2 patients and one unnecessary infection.

A suitable place of quarantine is one where you:

• Have access to the necessities of life without leaving your place of quarantine
• Have a separate bedroom if the space is shared with family/friends who didn't travel with you
• Can limit interactions with others in the household. If spaces, such as a kitchen, are shared:
  • wear a mask or face covering if a 2m distance cannot be maintained;
  • thoroughly and regularly clean common areas after use
• Are not living with those at risk of more severe disease
• Are not in close contact with others who did not travel with you. For example, do not quarantine in:
  • a group or communal living setting, including camps or students dorms unless the location is pre-authorized;
  • a household with a large family or many people
  • a shared small apartment or similar setting

 

[ghrimm]

Based on the posted regulations you should not be quarantining with your spouse because if she is sick then you are very likely to be positive as well. Instead of the health system dealing with one person there is 2 patients and one unnecessary infection.

A suitable place of quarantine is one where you:

• Have access to the necessities of life without leaving your place of quarantine
• Have a separate bedroom if the space is shared with family/friends who didn't travel with you
• Can limit interactions with others in the household. If spaces, such as a kitchen, are shared:
  • wear a mask or face covering if a 2m distance cannot be maintained;
  • thoroughly and regularly clean common areas after use
• Are not living with those at risk of more severe disease
• Are not in close contact with others who did not travel with you. For example, do not quarantine in:
  • a group or communal living setting, including camps or students dorms unless the location is pre-authorized;
  • a household with a large family or many people
  • a shared small apartment or similar setting

That makes sense, thanks for your input. We'll alter our quarantine plan where she self-isolates in my unit for the 14 days while I stay at my brother's place.

Am I allowed to pick her up from the airport (with her sitting in the back seat, disinfecting where she and areas of the car she touched, etc)?

 

[canuck78]

That makes sense, thanks for your input. We'll alter our quarantine plan where she self-isolates in my unit for the 14 days while I stay at my brother's place.

Am I allowed to pick her up from the airport (with her sitting in the back seat, disinfecting where she and areas of the car she touched, etc)?

Yes

 

[viralrana2020]

Hello Everyone,
My wife is going to travel from India on Feb 12. currently i am staying here in Canada. I am planning to book hotel for 14 days quarantine so can we both quarantine together in same room ? She will declarer at airport about the quarantine plan

 

[Naturgrl]

Hello Everyone,
My wife is going to travel from India on Feb 12. currently i am staying here in Canada. I am planning to book hotel for 14 days quarantine so can we both quarantine together in same room ? She will declarer at airport about the quarantine plan

Do you have a question?

 

[canuck78]

Hello Everyone,
My wife is going to travel from India on Feb 12. currently i am staying here in Canada. I am planning to book hotel for 14 days quarantine so can we both quarantine together in same room ? She will declarer at airport about the quarantine plan

She needs to be alone in the hotel room or it would defeat the point of quarantine because she would be potentially exposing another traveller and potentially burdening the health system with 2 sick people and not one. I do commend you for getting a hotel room since I assume you may be living with extended family or friends. You can pick up your wife from the airport and she can sit i the back seat diagonally from you wirh tbe windows open and masks on. You can leave food for her at her door or at the hotel concierge. Once she has finished her quarantine she can join you at ypur home. Please respect quarantine rules. Our hospitals are already struggling and getting covid can lead to lobgterm health issues even for minor infections. Another 14 days of separation won't kill you.