Won't say I comprehend it, fully! Canada and US borders have remained open - well technically and for the media 'no' But for practical purposes for a much larger degree that we are led to believe.
Flights from USA have been on. Flights with many other countries banned. <<So USA has been favoured, no issues. That's just the way it is>>
Roads: "Essential worker" includes hundreds of health care workers who travel everyday, truckers in hundreds, daily (across USA, Mexico - thru to Canda. E.g. from Windsor ON to Michigan hospitals.
Canada has NO road connections with anyone else - so the question of allowing any other country is a mute one.
BC also has the passage way to Alaska by road.
Many many Americans would have driven in or thru to get away from the horrible state of COVID affairs in USA. <<i do not blame them - would you not do the same it you culd?>> But that is not the point.
Oh and we are talking about immigration / visa applicants here. That is different to appeased standards for trade, economics, bureaucratic transactions. If USA applicants were to be favoured, do we have any differentiation of immigration fees, or rules, medical or security check rules for my American brothers and sisters? Nope.
So - the different standards of admission to Canada during COVID 19 is
neither due to COVID rates of the population, nor due to attempts at appeasing USA. (Else why would applicants from South Africa, Phillipines, Egypt (perhaps France as well - cant recall) have reported progress in CoPR extension).
And these are only applicants who are on this forum - there would be many who are not (logical guess only).
So is the reason a mere oversight by the local NVDO decision makers? Some suggested the VFS/VACs want to make money - can't buy that. How many millions would you make, against the risk and cost in these times, afterall.
As another member suggested - we would never know.
Our discussions, tweets, facebook asks etc etc would hardly make a dent in the decision or at least I do not live with such illusions.
Why am I still lurking here - mental satisfaction. Nothing worse that the 'feeling of inability to act'. You see, we are immigrants - the toughest of the civilised society who dump their roots, friends, family for want of 'must do something - even if it is tough' in order to improve. If us lot cannot express ourselves - we will be a mental mess of people. IRCC, NDVO, VAC, VFS will continue to execute their plan!
Hey ho...!
***Oh and I do not have data to prove any of the above - so take it as you will. Grain or train of salt - up to your sound judgement
***