Restrictions for Individuals Travelling to Canada from the United States (All modes)
Date: May 4, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: SPB/CBSA
Proposed Response:
- The Canada – U.S. border is open for essential travel that supports trade and our economy.
- On March 18, 2020, the Governments of Canada and the United States announced that both countries would be implementing collaborative and reciprocal measures to suspend non-essential travel along the Canada-U.S. border in response to the spread of COVID-19.
- Travel by asymptomatic people who have to cross the border to go to work or for other essential purposes, such as medical care, continues.
- The restriction with regard to entry to Canada does not apply to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons and Registered Indians under the Indian Act.
- The restriction initially came into effect on March 21, 2020, for 30 days (until April 21). As of April 22, the restriction was renewed for another 30 days (until May 21).
- Foreign nationals are prohibited from entering Canada for the purpose of claiming refugee protection unless they meet a limited set of exceptions, if arriving between ports of entry or, they meet an exception under the Safe Third Country Agreement, which applies at ports of entry.
- All travellers arriving in Canada, including workers who provide essential services, are subject to questioning about their health.
- These measures apply in land, air, rail and marine modes.
On Windsor-Detroit Corridor:
- As we all know, Detroit has become a hotspot for the spread of the virus.
- It remains important that we keep up the flow of essential travellers, mainly made up of healthcare workers, through the Windsor – Detroit Corridor, while ensuring that any symptomatic travellers are referred to PHAC officers.
- Many health care workers living in the Windsor area are working in the US. While the CBSA is unable to differentiate travellers by occupation, local public reports indicate that the Windsor ports of entry process approximately 1,000 health care workers daily.
- As of May 2, there were 81 instances of PHAC referrals by CBSA officers in Windsor, either due to individual declarations pertaining to illnesses, or as a result of officer referrals.
- All individuals showing symptoms and directed to mandatory quarantine by PHAC must do so, including those who are exempt.
- Within the commercial environment, the Ambassador Bridge is still processing 2,500 to 3,000 commercial travellers on weekdays.
- The CBSA is liaising with provincial and municipal counterparts to monitor and manage the situation.
Background:
Every day, $2.7 billion-worth of goods and services passes through the Canada-U.S. border and that trade is essential to both our countries. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada and the U.S. are temporarily restricting all non-essential travel across its borders. In our respective countries, individuals are encouraged and are recommended to exercise caution by avoiding unnecessary contact with others (social distancing). This collaborative and reciprocal measure is an extension of that prudent approach.
Canada and the U.S. recognize the critical necessity to preserve supply chains between both countries. These supply chains ensure that food, fuel, and life-saving medicines reach people on both sides of the border. Supply chains, including trucking, will not be impacted by this new measure. Canadians and Americans cross land border crossings daily to perform essential work, to study, or as a result of urgent or essential reasons. This travel should not be impacted.
To help manage the threat posed by international travel, Canada announced reciprocal restrictive measures with the U.S., for individuals in those countries who are travelling for non-essential, optional or discretionary reasons.
Non-essential travel restriction
On March 18, 2020, the Governments of Canada and the United States announced that both countries would be implementing collaborative and reciprocal measures to suspend non-essential travel along the Canada-U.S. border in response to the spread of COVID-19. Non-essential travel includes, but is not limited to, tourism, recreation, and entertainment. These temporary measures were renewed as of April 22, and will remain in effect until May 21, 2020 unless otherwise renewed.
Essential Travel
Some examples of essential travel purposes are:
- Crossing the border for work and study;
- Economic services and supply chains;
- Critical infrastructure support;
- Health (immediate medical care), safety and security;
- Shopping for essential goods such as medication or goods necessary to preserve the health and safety of an individual or family;
- Tending to family matters for essential purposes (bringing supplies to elderly parents or tending to sick family members); and
- Any other activities at the discretion of the officer that are deemed essential in nature.
Border Services Officers must exercise discretion when enforcing the restrictions.
Refugee Claimants
Arriving between Ports of Entry (irregularly)
Refugee claimants who seek to enter Canada between official ports of entry (i.e., irregular migrants) will continue to be directed back to the U.S., but will later be allowed to return to Canada to make their asylum claims once the prohibition on entering Canada expires or is repealed.
Arriving at Ports of Entry
For those asylum seekers arriving at a land port of entry, the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) applies. If an individual is not eligible to make a claim based on the STCA, they will be found ineligible, a removal order will be issued and they will be returned to the U.S.
If the individual meets an exception under the STCA, they will be able to enter Canada and have their claim for refugee protection processed. Exemptions and exceptions include:
- American citizens regardless of where they reside and stateless persons if the U.S. is their country of former habitual residence;
- Claimants who have family members in Canada (i.e. spouse, son, daughter, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew);
- Unaccompanied minors;
- Claimants who hold Canadian visas or travel documents; and,
- Persons who do not require a visa to travel to Canada, but who required a visa to enter the U.S.
Symptomatic Travellers
Any foreign national exhibiting signs and symptoms of a fever and cough or a fever and breathing difficulties is prohibited from entry, even if they are seeking entry for essential travel. The only exception to symptomatic travellers are refugee claimants who meet the exceptions, as described above.
Exemptions
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, Registered Indians under the Indian Act and protected persons are exempted from the above. They will be provided with a Public Health Agency of Canada pamphlet containing the latest health advice that advises travellers to self-isolate for 14 days.
Screening
Regardless of how they seek to enter Canada, all travellers arriving in Canada, including workers who provide essential services, are subject to questioning about their health. CBSA Officers not only query travellers on the state of their health, they observe visible signs of illness and will refer any traveller who they suspect of being ill, regardless of how the traveller responded to the health screening question.
Windsor-Detroit Corridor
There are approximately 2,600 health care workers living in the Windsor area and working in the US. While the CBSA is unable to differentiate travellers by occupation, it is believed that the Windsor ports of entry process approximately 1,000 health care workers daily.
As per the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, at least 30% of Windsor’s 569 confirmed COVID-19 cases are health care workers.
The ports of entry in Windsor have implemented a placard system for health care workers crossing the border. The placard identifies the traveller as a health care worker, who is an essential crosser. The health care worker places the placard on their dashboard, so they are easily identifiable to the CBSA Primary Officer. Despite the process implemented in Windsor, health care workers are still screened in accordance with all health screening processes in place. Any symptomatic health care worker will be referred to PHAC for further examination.
Contacts:
Approved by: Kathy Thompson, Vice-President, Strategic Policy Branch, [REDACTED]
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