The following is an Important Notice for Immigration Stakeholders from the Government of Canada
We can confirm that CPC-Mississauga mailroom was indeed closed briefly Monday the 16th. The closure was necessary in order for the Department to confirm operations and procedures for identified critical/essential staff.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused but we needed to make sure that the wellbeing of our employees and clients remain at the center of our priorities.
Land Borders
Currently at Land borders, US Citizens, green card holders or those that have a Visa in hand can be denied entry if considered to be “Non-essential travel”. US citizens can also be barred from entry if they have been in a recent hot spot in the past 14 days or if they show symptoms upon arrival. This measure does not include or apply to Canadian Citizens and or permanent residents and or First Nations, including family members. I refer to the Immigration Refugee Protection Act’s definition of family member, see regulation R1(3). All travellers would be required to self-isolate if allowed entry into the country.
Travel for the purpose of obtaining immigration services is non-essential. If you are in Canada, and are seeking to travel to the border in order to make an application for a work permit, study permit or permanent residence, you are asked to consider Federal and Provincial guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing. Do not travel to the border for these services until the further notice.
Air Carriers
To confirm, a travel ban has been implemented through an order under the Aeronautics Act which requires air carriers operating flights to Canada to deny boarding to any passenger who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (or an immediate family member). The measure came into force on Wednesday, March 18, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) EDT, and applies to travelers arriving by air.
For clarity, what this means is that international students and workers who are outside of Canada and the United States will not be permitted to board an aircraft to return to Canada, unless they are the spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Travel for the purpose of obtaining immigration services is non-essential. If you are in Canada, and are seeking to travel to the border in order to make an application for a work permit, study permit or permanent residence, you are asked to consider Federal and Provincial guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing. Do not travel to the border for these services until the further notice. If you are currently in Canada as a visitor, student or worker, you can apply online to IRCC to extend your temporary resident status. By doing so, you can continue to stay, study or work in Canada while your application is being processed. This is referred to as implied status, and as long as you apply before your current document expires, your current immigration authorizations and conditions remain unchanged. In-Canada services are available through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
