COVID-19: Foreign Worker Travel Exemptions

The situation regarding COVID-19 is changing rapidly, this post is current as of June 2, 2020.

With the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of a pandemic on March 11, 2020, Canada triggered its response to fight the spread of COVID-19. The border closure of March 14, 2020 caught many Canadians, Permanent Residents, foreign students and foreign workers outside of Canada, surprised and confused. The new reality was difficult to plan for, and like many individuals, the government, through its immigration policy and enforcement agencies, took some time to address emerging situations affecting Canadians, Permanent Residents, foreign students and foreign workers stranded outside. Within several days Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) put in place exemption guidelines for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the public regarding exemptions.