Question Period Note: EXEMPTIONS TO COVID-19 TEMPORARY MEASURES

Exemptions to the temporary covid-19 travel restrictions.

• Travel restrictions are currently imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19. These are necessary and important to ensure the health, safety and security of Canadians.

• However, targeted exemptions are currently in place to ensure the flow of essential goods and services to Canada, provided the traveller is not symptomatic and is coming to Canada for an essential (non-discretionary) purpose.

• There are also exemptions to ensure immediate family members are reunited, notably to ensure that minors are not stranded abroad.

• Exemptions also permit some students, temporary foreign workers and approved permanent resident applicants to come to Canada.

• Upon arrival in Canada, the health of all passengers will be assessed before they can leave the port of entry. Anyone arriving in Canada must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days even if they have no symptoms. This is mandatory. Those who do not have one should not travel to Canada.

• These exemptions strike a balance between public health imperatives and the urgent economic needs of our country.

• In March 2020, the Government of Canada announced a suite of measures to restrict travel to Canada, with the intent to protect public health and limit the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. Important exemptions include Canadian citizens, permanent residents, registered Indians and protected persons.

• The measures are put in place to ensure that those travellers who are symptomatic of COVID-19 are prohibited from travelling to Canada, thereby ensuring the public health and safety.

• Certain critical exemptions to the travel ban have been permitted, with the intent to allow essential travel to Canada, such as for the purpose of reuniting immediate family and supporting the Canadian economy.

• Currently, foreign nationals are prohibited from travelling from countries other than the U.S. to enter Canada unless the meet specific exemptions, and are travelling for an essential purpose. These exemptions include reuniting immediate family members, notably to ensure that minors are not stranded abroad.

• Other exemptions include some students, those holding permanent resident visas, and temporary foreign workers. As immigration is critical to Canada’s economy and social fabric, these exemptions are critical to ensuring that our economic growth is enabled and that our labour force is supported.

• In addition, travel is currently barred from the U.S. for all persons who are travelling for an optional or discretionary purpose, such as for tourism, recreation or entertainment. This is meant to limit travel to those critical functions necessary, such as services to support food supplies and health care. Foreign nationals may only enter Canada from the U.S. if they have been present in the U.S. or Canada during the past 14 days and that they are travelling for an essential purpose.

On Temporary foreign workers:

• In 2019, IRCC issued approximately 405,000 work permits. This is a 20% increase compared to 2018.

• The number of foreign nationals with valid work permits currently in Canada is approximately 835,000. It is likely that this population will decrease as a result of the travel ban plus work permits scheduled to expire in the coming weeks and months. For example, some 100,000 work permits will expire by the end of May.

• Employers and provinces and territories are concerned about the viability of the agriculture and food processing sector, which is a major employer of foreign workers. In 2019:
• Approximately 56,000 foreign workers were issued work permits to support crop planting and harvesting,
• Approximately 4,000 foreign workers supported food processing, and
• An additional 2,500 work permits were issued to transport truck drivers.

• Combined, these occupations accounted for 15% of all work permits issued in 2019. While relatively small as a share of all work permits issued, a lack of workers in this sector will affect businesses and could compromise Canada’s food security, as industry is currently gearing up for the spring planting season and the start of fishing season. Without immediate access to foreign workers, the 2020 growing and harvesting season is at risk. The Department is exploring options to address this need, with the view of prioritizing critical occupations in the near term.

• About half of workers in this sector normally arrive in Canada by the end of April, with the remainder arriving by the end of June. By way of reference, in March of 2019, approximately 6,000 work permits became effective in these occupations and nearly 13,000 work permits became effective in April 2019, demonstrating the significant volumes of workers who seek to enter Canada at the start of the spring season.

• As of May 8 exemptions include International Experience Canada participants. Applicants in the Working Holiday, Young Professionals or International Co-op categories can come to Canada only if they:
• have a valid job offer, and
• a port of entry letter of introduction

This measure will be in effect until further notice.

On students:

• International students contribute over $21B per year to the Canadian economy – greater than exports of auto parts, lumber or aircrafts.

• In 2019, the Department issued more than 415,000 study permits to international students, including extensions (13% increase over 2018).

• In 2019, there were 828,356 international students in Canada studying from primary to post-secondary levels (in 2015, there were 495, 590 students in Canada).

• Former international students are also often strong candidates to apply to stay permanently. In fact, in 2018, nearly 58,521 former international students transitioned to permanent residence, more than ever before.

On permanent residents:

• At present, over 69,900 persons hold permanent resident visas overseas. This number continues to grow as applications continue to be processed.

• This inventory includes skilled immigrants, spouses and family members that would be reunited with their Canadian relative, Privately Sponsored Refugees, and others.

• IRCC is responding to labour market challenges with high levels of permanent immigration, options for hiring temporary workers and international students, and innovative initiatives and pilot programs that address specific needs in an industry or region.

• The Government also works closely with provinces and territories, economic development partners, and industry to attract and retain economic immigrants, and ensure that all areas of the country benefit from immigration.

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