Announcement
Parents seeking travel to Canada for a non-optional or non-discretionary purpose
New regulations will effect from July 14-2020 until July 31-2020
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You are a foreign national wanting to reunite with an immediate family member residing in Canada that is NOT a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident; and
- You hold a valid visitor visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), and
- You are travelling to Canada to meet immediate family member and purpose should be considered as Essential.
Some of the travel purposes that are considered essential may be:
* economic services and supply chains;
* providing service that is essential to the health, safety, security, or economic well-being of Canadians and the government, in other words, “critical infrastructure support;”
* health (immediate medical care), safety and security;
* supporting Indigenous communities;
* transiting through Canada for essential purposes;
* studying in Canada if approved before March 18, 2020 (For international students only)
* tending to sick family members who have no one else to help them in Canada; or
* any other activities that are deemed “non-optional” or “non-discretionary” by the Canadian government.
The government defines “optional” or “discretionary” travel as coming to Canada for the purposes of tourism, recreation, and entertainment among others. Some examples of trips that the government does not consider essential include:
* visiting family for a vacation;
* coming to Canada for the birth of a new family member, although they may make an exception for the baby’s parent;
* visiting a secondary home even for the purposes of upkeep and maintenance; or
* attending the funeral of a family member, as quarantine measures in Canada already limit the number of attendees allowed at funerals under provincial restrictions.
If Parents fall under optional” or “discretionary travel purposes, IRCC will not issue Auhorization letter.
Study Links Advisors can help preparing Documentation including immediate family member’s temporary resident status and their relationship to that family member, and write to IRCC to obtain an authorization Letter.