Dear Mr Brown:

My spouse was authorised to enter Canada, but he was denied travel last week. Now the flights to Canada have been cancelled. I want to know what is going on. I thought that negative COVID tests are now required to travel, so what is with all these restrictions?

–— BG

Dear BG:

In an effort to combat the more contagious new variants of the novel coronavirus, the Canadian Government has taken precautionary steps to discourage travel by making it more inconvenient and expensive.

Additional measures

The measures include:

• Canada’s main airlines cancelling service until April 30, 2021 to the Caribbean and Mexico.

• In addition to the pre-boarding test Canada already requires, the government will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada.

• Mandatory quarantine of travellers – for up to three days – pending the PCR testing results, in a Government-approved hotel for three days at their own expense, which is likely to cost at least CAD2,000.00 (including the cost for a private PCR test, security, food and the cost of measures the designated hotels will have to take to keep their workers safe.)

• Starting on February 3, 2021, all international passengers, private and charter flights, including from the US, will land at the Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal airports.

• In the coming weeks, Canada will begin requiring non-essential travellers to show a negative test before entry at the land border with the US.

Those with a negative test during the hotel stay would then be able to finish their 14-day quarantine at home, with increased surveillance. Returnees will also be swabbed on day 10.

Those with positive tests would then be immediately required to quarantine in designated government facilities.

Travel through the US

Some Canadians have decided to travel south to sunny destinations by re-booking their flights with US airlines. There were no suspensions announced on flights to and from the United States. Therefore, the ban does not stop Canadians from flying to the US and then on sunny destinations such as Jamaica. However, the mandatory hotel quarantine and associated expenses upon return to Canada cannot be avoided.

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