International Travel to Canada
Travel to Canada can be made easier by checking in at the nearest air port or landing airport of your destination. Travelling via air means that you do not have to queue to clear immigration and customs formalities when arriving in Canada. If you are travelling to Canada through the use of a land port, you will have to pay a fee to the Canadian government for a visa. The time that visa requirements will take depends on the duration of your stay. Usually, a visa is required for travellers that wish to stay more than six months.
Travel to Canada requires entry requirements, which are different for travellers from some other countries. Entry to Canada is restricted, except for international students, permanent residents, Canadian citizens or their spouses, as well as members of the Canadian military who enter Canada on official duty. Entry to Canada may be renewed by submitting an application to the Immigration, Border and Customs Administration of Canada. As well, some groups are excluded from getting a visa, as per the immigration policy of the country. Some of these groups include the members of the Inuit communities and the International Mobility Programs.
Travellers who intend to travel to Canada need to understand the healthcare requirements that they will need to fulfill once they arrive in the country. This is important especially for travelers who intend to travel with their children. For instance, the children of family members who are permanently resident in Canada are required to have their immunizations or health cards ready before they leave their home countries. Immigrant groups and Canadian organizations also provide information and assistance on obtaining health documents.
The tourist industry is one of the key drivers of tourism in Canada. Therefore, Canadian consulates and agencies offer assistance to tourists who face difficulties during their travel to Canada. They offer assistance to make sure that a tourist’s visa runs out before he/she boards a plane to Canada. Furthermore, they also help tourists find the necessary information and assistance they need for their onward journey to Canada.
The travel and tourism sector in Canada has been a significant contributor to the economic well-being of the country. Hence, Canadian authorities take measures to ensure that persons belonging to the working class are able to enter Canada legally. For instance, the Employment Canada Act allows temporary workers to apply for employment without the need to obtain a permanent resident visa.
Moreover, the government encourages the movement of individuals between countries of different origin and destination. For instance, at the beginning of February, 2021, the Government of Canada lifted the quarantine on imported Canadian hamster Coccidioides immigrating into United States. Previously, the Coccidioides was refused entry to Canada due to fear of contracting the transmittable disease on immigrating to Canada from the United States. The quarantine was later lifted on 4 July 2021. Hence, persons travelling to Canada from the United States need not obtain a permanent resident visa to accompany their imported pets.
While the recent lifting of the quarantine is a positive step towards international travelers, it still remains important to ensure that domestic travel remains safe. In addition to the measures taken to protect against infectious diseases, Canadian officials have also been stringent in terms of quarantining Canadian travel abroad. On returning to Canada, international travelers must register with the Canadian Immigration and Customs Services office to ensure that they are allowed to transit through the country without proper documentation. If a person’s passport is lost or stolen, the traveller may be required to submit an application for a new passport. This requirement may also be applicable for persons travelling from abroad to Canada. For those travelling from another country and who wish to apply for a passport, they should consult the Citizen Advice Bureau to understand if a passport is required by the airlines or whether one can be issued through the Immigration services.
If you have been travelling to Canada before and you have not been required to take a test result, you may be able to skip the quarantine period. However, if you are travelling to Canada for the first time, you will likely need a prescription for drugs containing zoster viruses and quinsaviruses (such as cantharidin and echinacea). If you have any other prescription medications, you must advise your doctor if you intend to travel to Canada. You will also need to inform your Canadian medical provider if you are taking any over the counter or prescription medications that may contain an ingredient that has been known to cause botulism.