Blue Bird Blog

Most recent updates to Canada’s COVID-19 travel restrictions & immigration policies

Canada extends border closure with the United States until Feb 21: Canada has extended its border closure and travel restrictions with the United States until at least February 21, 2021 (Source: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau). Travel restrictions with all other countries remain in place until at least January 21, 2021, but may be extended beyond this date (Source: Public Safety Canada).

Please refer below for details on who is exempt from travel restrictions and what is required of individuals entering Canada.

Who can enter Canada during COVID-19?

The majority of foreign nationals are barred from entering Canada at this time, but there are a number of exemptions to the travel ban.

The following groups can cross the border into Canada whether by air or by land:

Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents;
immediate family members* of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents who are travelling to Canada for non-discretionary reasons;
extended family members** and long-term partners** of Canadian citizens and permanent residents (or their partners) who apply for written authorization from IRCC;
immediate family members* of temporary residents in Canada who receive written authorization from IRCC;
temporary workers who hold a valid work permit or who are approved for a work permit but have not yet been issued the work permit (please note that flagpoling is not permitted at this time, refer below for more details);
IEC participants who have not yet activated their work permits must have a valid job offer in order to enter, this job offer does not need to be in an essential sector (Source: IRCC);
IEC participants who have already activated their work permits and were outside the country temporarily do not require a valid job offer in order to re-enter (Source: IRCC; note that anecdotal reports suggest airline staff and border officers may still deny entry without proof of a connection to Canada like employment, housing, or family);
international students attending a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that is on the approved list (schools which have a COVID-19 readiness plan) and have either a valid study permit or a letter of introduction showing that they’ve been approved for a study permit (Source: IRCC);
COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in any country other than the United States and were approved for their COPR before 12pm EDT on March 18, 2020, and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC);
COPR-holders with a valid COPR who are residing in the United States and were approved on any date (even after March 18, 2020) and who are travelling to Canada to settle permanently (Source: IRCC);
those granted special permission to enter for compassionate reasons.

There are a handful of other exceptional exemptions listed here.

(Sources: IRCC, Order in Council – U.S., Order in Council – International)

Canada

February 2025: State of the Express Entry pool

After a January that saw Express Entry draws return to some semblance of normalcy, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already held two draws in the month of February.
January saw the issuance of 5,821 Invitations to Apply (ITAs): candidates includes those in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and those in enhanced Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Last month was also the first month since June of 2024 that the immigration department did not hold an Express Entry draw for candidates with French-language proficiency.

A ten-year review: How Express Entry shaped immigration in Canada

Jan 31, 2025 marks the ten-year anniversary of Canada’s first Express Entry draw.

Since then, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued over 800,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR) through the Express Entry system.

Canada launches new immigration pathway for French speakers

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) immigration pathway.
This new immigration pathway was first announced in March of 2024, with further details revealed in December of last year.
Under this program, newcomers with an intermediate level of French ability—and who have an offer of employment in priority occupations sought by a community outside of Quebec—can be nominated and receive Canadian permanent residence (PR).

New Brunswick begins reopening immigration programs

New Brunswick will finally begin opening its immigration streams, after a period of adjustment following notice from the federal government that the province would only be given 2,750 immigrant nomination spaces this year.
The 2,750 spaces will be split up between the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program NBPNP (1,500) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) (1,250).
In a press release on February 5, Jean-Claude D’Amours, acting Minister of Post-Secondary Education for the province, stated that the significant reduction in allocations for 2025 has forced the province “to make difficult decisions."

How can my foreign employees legally work in Canada?

To avoid running afoul of Canadian authorities, you should ensure that any foreign employees you require to work in Canada are legally authorized to do so.

You have three main options:

- Work permit exemptions;

- The International Mobility Program (IMP); and

- The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

These industries have the highest retention rates for work permit holders who become permanent residents

The healthcare and social assistance sectors had the highest retention rates of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) who become permanent residents, according to a new report by Statistics Canada.

The study by Stats Can found that the retention rate—the percentage of TFWs who remained working in the same sector after having received permanent residency (PR)—varied dramatically across sectors.