Covid Lockdown, Canada Entry Ban & PR obligations !!

[_Harry_]

Hi All- I was just curious what's happening to those cases who are unable to furnish their PR requirement of minimum 2 year stay in Canada due to Lockdown and Canada Entry ban because of Covid? Say someone came to his/her native country but is stuck there and unable to come back to Canada to furnish the minimum 730 days stay in Canada in order to continue his/her PR?

Is there any time relaxation given by Canada govt in such cases? Is Canada govt considering such genuine cases?

 

[scylla]

Hi All- I was just curious what's happening to those cases who are unable to furnish their PR requirement of minimum 2 year stay in Canada due to Lockdown and Canada Entry ban because of Covid? Say someone came to his/her native country but is stuck there and unable to come back to Canada to furnish the minimum 730 days stay in Canada in order to continue his/her PR?

Is there any time relaxation given by Canada govt in such cases? Is Canada govt considering such genuine cases?

There's been no relaxation announced.

What country are you stuck in?

 

[_Harry_]

There's been no relaxation announced.

What country are you stuck in?

Two of my friends came to India but are stuck there. Now Canada Banned flights from India till May end and that's causing them more stress as they have to be in Canada by June else they might lose their PR status!

 

[canuck78]

Two of my friends came to India but are stuck there. Now Canada Banned flights from India till May end and that's causing them more stress as they have to be in Canada by June else they might lose their PR status!

Unfortunately when people move to Canada right the 3 years from their landing date they often get delayed for a variety of reasons. Realistically they will likely get off with a warning if anything if they move as soon as possible after the ban but they will need to remain in Canada for 2 years straight. They also won't qualify to sponsor anyone until they meet their RO. Please give yourselves a few months minimum as a buffer for business travel, family emergencies or even just a vacation out of Canada. We see this scenario all the time on this forum.

 

[amusingfirefly]

Unrelated to this, is there any discussion on this forum about the flight ban and possibilities for Indian/Pakistani PR holders or Canadian citizens in those two countries to get back home? I'm in a bit of a precarious situation and would love some input, @canuck78 Thanks

 

[canuck78]

Unrelated to this, is there any discussion on this forum about the flight ban and possibilities for Indian/Pakistani PR holders or Canadian citizens in those two countries to get back home? I'm in a bit of a precarious situation and would love some input, @canuck78 Thanks

Not sure but given that Canada was very clear that people shouldn’t be travelling I assume it is unlikely there will be any attempt to repatriate people. Repatriating people risks bringing more cases into Canada which is what the government is trying to prevent. Your only option is to fly through another country, follow their quarantine rules (usually 10-14 day quarantine), get another PCR test and then follow the quarantine process in Canada. Some transit countries have already banned entry to Indian citizens or non-residents of that country. You may also need a visa to enter the transit country.

 

[scylla]

Unrelated to this, is there any discussion on this forum about the flight ban and possibilities for Indian/Pakistani PR holders or Canadian citizens in those two countries to get back home? I'm in a bit of a precarious situation and would love some input, @canuck78 Thanks

I don't believe there are any threads at this time dedicated to this discussion.

When you say that you are in a precarious situation, is this because your PR card is expiring soon? Or is your PR card still valid for a bit but you don't meet RO?

 

[amusingfirefly]

Not sure but given that Canada was very clear that people shouldn’t be travelling I assume it is unlikely there will be any attempt to repatriate people. Repatriating people risks bringing more cases into Canada which is what the government is trying to prevent. Your only option is to fly through another country, follow their quarantine rules (usually 10-14 day quarantine), get another PCR test and then follow the quarantine process in Canada. Some transit countries have already banned entry to Indian citizens or non-residents of that country. You may also need a visa to enter the transit country.

Thanks @canuck78. Yes I agree too that repatriation flights might not be possible right now. In the last few days, however, I have seen many reports of Canadian citizens stuck in India on CBC and other prominent news channels. I was also thinking of the indirect route through the US, but there is a possibility they will ban flights from India as well.

 

[amusingfirefly]

I don't believe there are any threads at this time dedicated to this discussion.

When you say that you are in a precarious situation, is this because your PR card is expiring soon? Or is your PR card still valid for a bit but you don't meet RO?

Thanks for the reply @scylla . No my precarious situation is not because of my PR card or RO status. Those are fine as I have been living in Canada for the last 5 years almost exclusively. The precarious situation is actually personal - I have a health issue I was receiving treatment for in Canada and I need to get back soon to continue it. In India currently there is no way to continue that treatment, plus the covid situation makes it even more unsafe. I traveled to India for a family emergency but only intended to stay for a few weeks. I didn't expect Canadian gov't to issue such a drastic measure.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks @canuck78. Yes I agree too that repatriation flights might not be possible right now. In the last few days, however, I have seen many reports of Canadian citizens stuck in India on CBC and other prominent news channels. I was also thinking of the indirect route through the US, but there is a possibility they will ban flights from India as well.

I have seen no discussion of repatriation flights so would explore the possibility of flying through a 3rd country. Make sure you try and secure travel medical insurance in case you get sick with covid in a 3rd country. You will also need to quarantine for 14 day on arrival which also may cause issues accessing treatment in Canada

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the reply @scylla . No my precarious situation is not because of my PR card or RO status. Those are fine as I have been living in Canada for the last 5 years almost exclusively. The precarious situation is actually personal - I have a health issue I was receiving treatment for in Canada and I need to get back soon to continue it. In India currently there is no way to continue that treatment, plus the covid situation makes it even more unsafe. I traveled to India for a family emergency but only intended to stay for a few weeks. I didn't expect Canadian gov't to issue such a drastic measure.

Understood. It's good news that you don't have to worry about RO or your PR Card. Sorry to hear about your health issues.

Unfortunately I don't think there's anything you can do but wait for the travel ban to lift or try to fly through a third country to return to Canada.

 

[amusingfirefly]

Thanks for your input @scylla and @canuck78

 

[canuck78]

Would also assume there is a good chance the ban will be extended.

 

[amusingfirefly]

Would also assume there is a good chance the ban will be extended.

Yes I'm almost assuming this is going to be in place for minimum 4-5 months or at least until a significant portion of Canadians are vaccinated AND cases in India come down to very low levels. Currently they are expecting a peak of 500,000 cases a day by mid-May.
I don't know the legal implications of this - if Canadian citizens are prevented from coming back to the country, is there a fundamental citizenship rights violation? It's a bit extreme.

 

[steaky]

is there a fundamental citizenship rights violation? It's a bit extreme.

You can hire a lawyer and find out!