The Canadian government announced several important changes to the conditions of entry into the country on November 19.

One of the major changes announced is for groups of travellers who are currently exempt from certain border requirements in order to enter Canada. Beginning January 15, 2022, the following groups will only be allowed entry if they have been fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines approved for entry into Canada: 

• Individuals travelling to reunite with family (excluding unvaccinated children 18 years of age or younger if they are travelling to reunite with a fully vaccinated immediate or extended family member or a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act);
• International students 18 years of age and older;
• Professional and amateur athletes;
• Individuals with valid work permits, (this includes temporary foreign workers except those in the agriculture and agri-food sectors);
• Essential service providers, including truck drivers.

The COVID-19 vaccines that are accepted by the Canadian government are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.

However, the government has now also announced that as of November 30, the list of COVID-19 vaccines will be expanded and travellers will be able to receive Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN to be considered fully vaccinated. The new list is consistent with the list used by the World Health Organization.

Finally, also as of November 30, fully vaccinated Canadian citizens and permanent residents will no longer be required to provide a PCR test to re-enter the country for trips of less than 72 hours. Those who are taking a longer trip abroad will continue to be required to present a negative PCR test for COVID-19 to Canadian customs officials.

For the last several months, anyone entering Canada has been required to present a recent molecular test (PCR) that shows a negative result for COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests, which are less expensive, are not accepted.

The federal government will continue to require that children under the age of 12, who are not yet vaccinated, be quarantined when they return home from a trip abroad. This means they cannot attend school, day camp or day care, use crowded public transportation or participate in large gatherings for 14 days after arrival.

Complete our FREE assessment form to see if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada