Dear Mr Brown,

I heard that Canada declared the pandemic is over and that people can travel to Canada who are not vaccinated. Can you tell me what restrictions are left and whether you think the US will do the same?

— J WL

Dear JWL:

The Government of Canada lifted its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for visitors entering the country on October 1, 2022. As such, Canadian borders will be reopened to unvaccinated travellers for the first time since the pandemic started in 2020.

Travellers to Canada will no longer need to:

• Submit proof of vaccination;

• Submit proof of pre-travel testing;

• Go into quarantine or isolation upon entering the country;

• Monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Canada;

• Undergo health checks for travel on air and rail;

• Wear masks on planes and trains;

• Submitting travel and public health information in the ArriveCan app.

The requirements were lifted due to a combination of:

• The high vaccination rate;

• Low coronavirus hospitalisation;

• Low death rates; and

• Increased availability of vaccine boosters and rapid tests.

Approximately 85.4 per cent of Canadians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 82 per cent (31.39 million) have completed their primary dose series.

The Quarantine Act

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has reiterated that Canada is out of the pandemic. However, the Government’s data showed the importation of new variants was no longer having an effect on the evolution of the virus in country.

COVID-19 will remain one of the communicable diseases listed in the Quarantine Act. Any traveller who is sick upon arrival in Canada will be asked to inform a staff member or border services officer for reference to a quarantine officer for possible further medical assessment.

Should border restrictions be necessary in the future, the Government of Canada will maintain act to protect Canadians from the importation of new variants of concern.

The United States

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still requires that non-US citizens travelling into the United States by air, sea or land still need to be fully vaccinated (not including a booster dose), with limited exceptions for children under 18, people travelling for foreign government work, and people with certain medical conditions that prevent them from receiving a vaccine. It is not clear when these requirements will be lifted.

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