How Coronavirus Has Impacted The Canadian Immigration In The Beginning

How Coronavirus Has Impacted The Canadian Immigration In The Beginning?

Coronavirus has impacted the entire world in numerous numbers of ways, especially the traveling world. Right? For a certain time, almost all flights were restricted and no one is allowed to move from one country to another but with time, the disease has been controlled and everything is getting at the normal soon. If you are interested to know how covid-19 has impacted Canadian immigration as you are looking to migrate there then have a look at this guide. You should also get the help of immigration lawyers Canada.  

The early days

 In the initial pandemic days, the Canadian government announced to close the Canadian borders for the world in March 2002. These travel restrictions largely affected the immigration levels of the country. Only Canadian citizens, essential workers, and immediate family members were allowed to travel to the country. And they have to go through mandatory 14-day quarantine after landing at the airport in Canada. By the end of 2020, the number of new permanent residents who landed in the country was 1,84,000 which was recorded as the lowest level of immigrants since 1998.

All the ceremonies of citizenship, tests, and retests for immigration were canceled. Also, the in-person appointments for the permanent residency landing were canceled for at least one month. The closing of Visa Applications Centers established all over the world and cancellation of language tests made it difficult for an individual to complete the Canadian immigration application process.

Now that all the required services for immigration were put on hold, the Canadian government decided to extend the pre-specified period for the applicants to apply for immigration. 

Measures of the Canadian governments to support the immigrants during the pandemic

Although study permits were being provided to the international students after 18 March 2021 they were not allowed to land in Canada in starting. To not hamper the studies of the students, the Canadian Government allowed them to pursue their studies online. Starting from February, they can do their entire program online, until December 2021, and still, they will be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). 

In the fall, it was announced by the Minister that the extended family of the residents of Canada could travel here to visit their family members. Also, the foreign nationals were allowed to land here if they have any compassionate reason including a funeral. 

All about vaccines and hotel quarantine during the second wave

On December 9, the vaccine named as Pfizer-BioNTech for the coronavirus was approved by the Canadian government. In total there are four vaccines available in Canada that can be availed by anyone no matter what is the status of their citizenship. 

In January, the government announced a mandatory quarantine for the international travelers crossing the border of Canada in the hotels approved by the government. Also, the international travelers were required to go through the covid-19 test at the Canadian airports. The traveling restrictions are required to follow by all the people. If an individual follows all the current protocols, then only he/she can travel. You can also get expert advice from immigration consultant Toronto.