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Owing to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Canada immigration scenario has been witnessing a few important changes in the past few weeks. The Government of Canada has introduced a few significant changes to the policies and regulations related to immigration with an aim to protect the health and well-being of Canadians.
Travel restrictions have been imposed on all foreign nationals from March 18 to June 30 and the citizens have been advised to avoid all non-essential travel. However, Canada has exempted US citizens, temporary and permanent residents from the travel ban.
Application for Canada immigration
Those who wish to migrate to Canada may still submit their Express Entry profile and fulfill the requirements for submitting the application for Canada PR visa.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) has also informed that the federal Express Entry draws would continue to be held in every two weeks. IRCC has already conducted two draws in the past few days, inviting around 4000 candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada. Besides, the Provincial Nominee Programs(PNPs) are also conducting draws as usual, which indicates that COVID-19 has not made much impact on Canada’s immigration plans.
Canada continues to process immigration applications under various categories. However, applicants will get more time, an additional 90 days, to submit the required documents. But when submitting the application, they also need to submit a letter explaining the reason for delay.
Exemptions from travel ban
The following persons have been exempted from travel ban imposed by Canada from March 18 till June 30 in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak:
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents
- Immediate family members of Canadian citizens, permanent residents
- Those who had their permanent residence applications approved before March 16 but are yet to travel to Canada.
- Temporary foreign workers
- International students who hold a valid study permit or had their application for study permit approved before March 18
- Transiting passengers
The following persons come under the purview of the term ‘immediate family member’:
- Spouse/common-law partner
- Dependent child
- Grandchild
- Parent/step-parent
- Guardian/tutor
Those who wish to apply for Canada immigration must however remember that there would be delays in processing their applications.
If you wish to migrate to Canada, this is the right time to start the preparations. Take the first step towards fulfilling your Canadian dream by filling our free online assessment form.
