Dear Mr Brown,

I will be travelling to Canada to start classes, however, I have been hearing about the need to register to be able to enter Canada due to COVID-19. Please tell me about the process.

— TJ

Dear TJ:

As of November 21, 2020, the federal government will be requiring all entrants to Canada to self-report their health and quarantine arrangements using the mobile application ArriveCAN prior to arrival.

ArriveCAN

Travellers to Canada will be required to submit contact and quarantine information, as well as digitally submit COVID-19 symptom self-assessments upon and after entry into Canada via the ArriveCAN application.

This facilitates an efficient means for public health and for law enforcement officials to be able to contact travellers to verify compliance with mandatory isolation orders. The information must be submitted before boarding the flight to Canada.

The ArriveCAN receipt must be shown when seeking entry to Canada, as border services will verify that the information was submitted digitally.

Compliance

Failure to submit the information may result in:

• Additional delays at the border for public health questioning; or

• Subjection to enforcement action and a potential fine of Can$1,000.

Travellers will be considered a high priority for follow up by Canadian law enforcement if they do not submit their mandatory information.

Follow-Up in Canada

After entering Canada, the application would be used to confirm the arrival at the address for quarantine or isolation within 48 hours, as well as completing daily COVID-19 symptom self-assessments during the quarantine period. Please note that the ArriveCAN application must be used to provide information before entering Canada in order to use it again to confirm location and to provide self-assessments.

If this follow-up information is not provided, it may affect non-compliance rating and lead to calls from public health officials.

Individuals exempt from the requirement to use the app include dependent children or people who are entering on compassionate grounds. ArriveCAN does not track the location of users. The information is protected under the privacy laws of Canada.

Travellers who do not use ArriveCAN to submit their information prior to arriving in Canada will be required to call the 1-833-641-0343 toll-free number on a daily basis, during the quarantine period, to provide their information. They would not be able to use ArriveCAN.

Please visit jamaica2canada.com for additional information on Canadian Permanent Residence programmes, including Express Entry, The Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com