Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your enquiry.

On March 16, 2020, the Prime Minister announced travel restriction measures that will restrict air travel to Canadians, permanent residents and families of Canadians to protect Canada from the outbreak of COVID-19. While these restrictions seek to stop non-essential travel, there are exceptions to ensure essential travel is permitted.

Please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19.html and https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html for the most current information on how COVID-19 is affecting IRCC services, including travel restrictions and exemptions.

While these measures are in place, those who do not meet one of the specified exemptions will not be permitted to travel to Canada.

In all cases, if you’re travelling by air, you need to pass a health check conducted by airlines before you’re allowed to board your flight. Anyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada by air.

When you arrive in Canada we’ll assess your health before you leave the port of entry. You must isolate for 14 days even if you have no symptoms. This is mandatory.

The above measure does not affect your current visa or your status when you are able to travel to Canada.

If your visa expires during this time, you may need to apply for a new visa to travel to Canada.

Sincerely,

IRCC Ho Chi Minh

Consulate General of Canada | Consulat général du Canada

Ho Chi Minh City | Ho Chi Minh-Ville

www.canada.ca/immigration

www.vietnam.gc.ca

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Who can travel to Canada – Citizens, persons registered under Canada’s Indian Act, permanent residents, foreign nationals and refugees

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html

New requirements for travel to Canada

As of February 21, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET, you must meet the new testing and quarantine requirements when coming to Canada.

Use the checklist that applies to you:

To protect Canadians from the outbreak of COVID-19, the Prime Minister announced travel restrictions that limit travel to Canada. Until further notice, most foreign nationals cannot travel to Canada, even if they have a valid visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA).

These restrictions stop most non-essential (discretionary) travel to Canada.

Who can enter Canada

You can travel to and enter Canada if you’re a

Canadian citizen
dual Canadian citizen with a
- valid Canadian passport or
- special authorization
permanent resident of Canada
person registered under Canada’s Indian Act
protected person

Foreign nationals, including United States (US) citizens, can travel to Canada only if they’re eligible.

Foreign nationals who are eligible to travel to Canada

To be eligible to travel to Canada as a foreign national, you must meet the requirements for one of the following:

Immediate family members of a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident

To be eligible, you must be both

an immediate family member of a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident
staying in Canada for 15 days or more

You must also have a quarantine plan that shows how you’ll quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada. This plan is mandatory.

Immediate family members staying for less than 15 days must be travelling for a non-discretionary purpose.

Find out who’s considered an immediate family member and how to unite with them

Extended family members of a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident

To be eligible, all of the following must apply:

You’re an extended family member of a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident.
You’re staying in Canada for 15 days or more.
You have written authorization from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

You must also have a quarantine plan that shows how you’ll quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada. This plan is mandatory.

Extended family members staying for less than 15 days must be travelling for a non-discretionary purpose.

Find out who’s considered an extended family member and how to unite with them

Coming for compassionate reasons

If you’re a foreign national travelling to Canada for a compassionate reason, you must get an authorization from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to travel to and enter Canada.

Examples of compassionate reasons can include

being present during the final moments of life of a loved one
providing support to a person deemed critically ill
providing care to a person who medically requires support
attending a funeral or end-of-life ceremony

After you get an authorization from PHAC

You may also need to apply for a visitor visa or eTA. This will allow you to board your flight and travel to Canada.

If you don’t know which travel document you need to travel to Canada, use our online tool to find out if you need a visitor visa or eTA.

If you’re not eligible to come for compassionate reasons, you must meet the requirements for immediate or extended family members or all other foreign nationals who are eligible to travel to the country.

All other foreign nationals

To be eligible, you must meet one of the following requirements:

You must be travelling directly from the US for a non-discretionary purpose.
You must be exempt from the travel restrictions and be travelling for a non-discretionary purpose.

Travellers coming from outside the US who are exempt from the travel restrictions

temporary foreign workers
some international students
some people who have been approved to become a permanent resident of Canada, but who are not yet permanent residents
immediate family members with written authorization from IRCC to reunite with a temporary resident of Canada (see Uniting with immediate family members for more information)
transiting passengers (must remain in the secure transit area of a Canadian airport to complete their connection)
members of the Canadian forces, visiting forces coming to perform official duties, Department of National Defence and their immediate family members
accredited diplomats and their immediate family members (includes North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO], those under the United Nations Headquarters Agreement, other organizations)
air and marine crew members
French citizens who live in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and have been in only Canada, the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon during the 14 days before the day they seek to enter Canada
any person who does not pose a significant harm to public health, in the opinion of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and who will provide an essential service while in Canada
any person whose presence in Canada is in the national interest, in the opinion of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; or Minister of Foreign Affairs
- If you fall under this exemption, you don’t have to demonstrate that you’re entering Canada for a non-discretionary reason.
- This exemption may be applied only by any of the 3 ministers listed above.
- This exemption is for exceptional circumstances only. All other options must be considered before it will be considered.
- If you think you may qualify for a national interest exemption, you can contact your nearest visa office.
any person who is coming at the invitation of the Minister of Health for the purpose of COVID-19 assistance
any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries

You must also have a quarantine plan that shows how you will quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada. This plan is mandatory.

Mandatory quarantine, COVID-19 testing and other requirements

Before you travel to Canada, make sure you know the rules and what you need to do before and after you arrive:

ArriveCAN

You must use ArriveCAN before checking in at the airport or crossing the border to submit your

travel and contact information
quarantine plan
COVID-19 symptoms self-assessment

Please bring your ArriveCAN receipt (electronic or paper) with you to show the border services officer upon arrival.

COVID-19 mandatory hotel stopover: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice/mandatory-hotel-stay-air-travellers.html

Use ArriveCAN to enter Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please follow this link for Written Authorization, you will find an email address for you to contact on the page: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/visitors/immediate-family.html#authorization

Sincerely,

IRCC Ho Chi Minh

Consulate General of Canada | Consulat général du Canada

Ho Chi Minh City | Ho Chi Minh-Ville

www.canada.ca/immigration

www.vietnam.gc.ca

/17

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Information about COVID-19

Apply online

VACs won’t accept or process paper applications for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit until further notice.

You must apply online.

For further information regarding COVID-19 measures and travel restrictions, please refer to the following links:

Frequently Asked Questions:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html

Biometrics submission:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/biometrics.html

Visa Application Centres (VAC):

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/offices.html#vac

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Renseignements au sujet de la COVID-19

Présentez votre demande en ligne

Les CRDV n’accepteront ni traiteront les demandes papier de visa de visiteur, de permis d’études ou de permis de travail jusqu’à nouvel ordre.

Vous devez présenter votre demande en ligne.

Pour plus d’information sur les mesures de COVID-19 et les restrictions de voyage, veuillez consulter les liens suivants :

Foire aux questions

https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/coronavirus-covid19/restrictions-exemptions-voyage.html

Collecte des données biométriques

https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/coronavirus-covid19/biometrie.html

Centres de réception des demandes de visa (CRDV)

https://www.canada.ca/fr/immigration-refugies-citoyennete/services/coronavirus-covid19/bureaux.html

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https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/visitors/immediate-family.html#extended

If you have a valid visitor visa or an application in progress

Follow the instructions for What to do if you’ve already applied for a visitor visa. We’ll assess your reasons for travel and make a decision on your written authorization.

Remember to submit evidence to show you’re eligible to travel at this time.

If you need a visitor visa but haven’t applied for one yet

Follow the instructions for How to apply for a visitor visa. We’ll assess your reasons for travel and make a decision on your visitor visa and your written authorization at the same time.

Remember to submit evidence to show you’re eligible to travel at this time.

If you have an eTA or need one to travel

If you have an eTA, or you’re applying for one, you also need to contact us through our Web form to tell us how you meet the eligibility requirements to travel at this time. We’ll assess your reasons for travel and make a decision on your eTA, if you don’t have one yet, and your written authorization.

Find more instructions for eTA applicants.

Remember to submit evidence to show you’re eligible to travel at this time.

If you don’t need a visitor visa or eTA (for example, US citizen)

If you don’t need a visitor visa or eTA to travel to Canada, you still need a written authorization if you’re coming to unite with an

extended family member
immediate family member who is in Canada temporarily if you’re travelling from any country other than the US

Note: If you’re coming from the US to unite with an immediate family member who is in Canada temporarily you do not need written authorization.

Send your request for a written authorization to this email address: IRCC.COVID-TravelExemptions-Exemptionsdevoyage-COVID.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

Make sure you include

your full name
your date of birth
your passport number
a detailed reason for travel
the dates you plan to travel
where you live now (current country of residence)
your supporting documents to show you’re eligible to travel to Canada at this time
- For example, if you’re coming to unite with an extended family member, include proof that your family member is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident and also include the completed application for authorization and statutory declaration. Make sure your family member follows the steps for completing the statutory declaration.

Make sure you email us all required information, including the completed and signed statutory declaration, in one email. If you send us multiple emails with different information, your request will be delayed and may be refused.

We’ll contact you within 14 business days of getting your complete request. If your request is missing required information, it may take us longer to respond.

If we approve your request for a written authorization, we’ll send it to the email address you used to contact us.

Email us only if you’re eligible to travel to Canada at this time. We won’t respond to any other inquiries.

Authorization for Exemption from COVID-19 Canadian Travel Restrictions From: Consulate General of Canada, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Subject: Authorization for Exemption from Canadian Travel Restrictions for the Purpose of Family Reunification

[DATE]

Name:

Passport number:

UCI:

Validity: Single use, three (3) calendar months from issuance date

Status: Authorized

Good day,

Your request to be exempted from the current restrictions to travel to Canada has been approved under the Order in Council, Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from any country other than the United States).

This letter is intended to authorize travel, but it does not guarantee travel to or entry to Canada. It is not a travel document and does not authorize you to travel to Canada without a valid passport, visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA).The final decision on admission to Canada is made by border services officers at Canadian ports of entry. In order to be admitted into Canada, and in addition to meeting all the usual entry requirements, foreign nationals must satisfy the examining officer that their entry to Canada is for a non-discretionary rather than a discretionary purpose.

Important: You must bring evidence that you meet the eligibility requirements to travel at this time. You must bring the evidence you provided in your application and written authorization from IRCC. If you can’t provide this information, you won’t be allowed to board your flight or enter Canada.

This decision has been documented in Canada’s Global Case Management System.

This authorization is valid for single use and to a maximum validity of three (3) calendar months. It is only an assessment that your presence in Canada is for the purpose of reuniting with your immediate family members. To board your flight and to enter Canada, you must meet all admissibility and other requirements, as well as other applicable laws and regulations. You will not be allowed to travel to Canada for reasons of an optional or discretionary nature, such as tourism, recreation or entertainment.

You are responsible for your own travel arrangements and this exemption does not grant you access to repatriation flights facilitated by the Government of Canada.

If you are travelling by air, you need to pass a health check conducted by airlines before you are allowed to board your flight. Anyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada by air.

When you arrive in Canada, we will assess your health before you leave the port of entry. You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada and be prepared to provide evidence of your quarantine plan to the border services officer upon entry. This is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms.

Please visit canada.ca/covid19 for official Government of Canada news and announcements regarding COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada