COVID-19: A Guide for Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada

On this page

• What COVID-19 (coronavirus) is
• What you need to know before you leave your country
• What to know for your initial period of quarantine in Canada
• What to know for the rest of your stay in Canada
• COVID-19 income support measures
• Contacts for questions or help related to COVID-19
• Contacts to report your employer for not respecting the COVID-19 requirements

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What COVID-19 (coronavirus) is

COVID-19 causes a respiratory (lung) infection. Most healthy people who are sick with COVID-19 will have a mild illness, like a cold. Some people who are sick with COVID-19 will need to get care in the hospital.

What you need to know before leaving your country

COVID-19 is a serious health threat, and the situation in Canada is changing every day.

Instructions to follow before you travel to Canada:

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you will not be permitted to board the plane
  • If you show signs of COVID-19 upon arrival, officials will contact a quarantine officer and the officer will perform a more detailed assessment
  • If necessary, the quarantine officer may:
    • order you to be transported to hospital to undergo a medical examination
    • inform the local public health authority that you may have COVID-19
• If you have no symptoms of COVID-19, you should:
  • ask your employer if your job is still available
  • read the email that you received from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and follow their advice 
• You will likely need to undergo mandatory quarantine for the first 14 days when you get to Canada. You need to discuss the plan for this period with your employer before you arrive.

Information you need to have with you when boarding and may be asked of you upon arrival:

• the address of your accommodation (housing)
• a telephone number or email so that Canadian officials can contact you
• your employer’s contact information
• how you will get from the airport to your accommodation, confirming that you are going directly from the airport to your quarantine location without any stops for food and/or basic supplies
• your plan for how you will access food and other essentials, which may include asking your employer to help. Note that your employer cannot prevent you from accessing food. The employer is not responsible for covering the cost of these items. If you wish, you may arrange a plan with your employer for recouping these costs, as long as both you and your employer are in agreement
• confirmation that you will not be in isolation with vulnerable groups
• work permit or port of entry (POE) letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a work permit. Show your work permit or POE letter to the airline attendant. This document shows that you are allowed to travel to Canada during the travel restrictions

What to know for your initial period of quarantine in Canada

Most workers are required to quarantine for 14 days. Only workers considered “essential” by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada are exempted (for example, healthcare workers, workers in transportation of medical products, truck drivers, crew on planes, trains and vessels). Visit Temporary Foreign Worker Program – COVID-19 to get more information on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, what is expected from employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and frequently asked questions.

It is your responsibility to follow the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Government of Canada and the province and territory you live in. For the most recent updates, please visit Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

What to know for the rest of your stay in Canada

The information in this section will be useful for the rest of your stay in Canada, after the initial quarantine period has elapsed.

For the rest of your stay in Canada, to avoid the spread of COVID-19, you (as well as all Canadians) are asked to:

• stay at home unless you have to go to work
• avoid all non-essential trips in your community
• do not gather in groups
• limit contact with people at higher risk, such as older adults and those in poor health
• go outside to exercise but stay close to home

If you leave your home, always keep a distance of at least 2 arms lengths (approximately 2 metres) from others. People you live with do not need to distance from each other unless they are sick or have travelled in the last 14 days.

If you become sick, please follow the same health advice as provided in What to know for your initial quarantine period in Canada.

Reminder: While in Canada, it is important to keep track of the hours you work.

COVID-19 income support measures

Your employer cannot end your contract if you are sick with COVID-19. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, new financial supports have been made available which you may be eligible for if you are laid off or if you become sick due to COVID-19. If you become ill after the initial quarantine period, you may be entitled to either paid or unpaid sick leave, depending on your employment contract and the relevant federal, provincial or territorial employment standards. Contact the employment standards office to find out more. Please note that although employers must pay you for the quarantine period, employers do not have to continue paying you if you get sick after this period. However, there are income supports available to you if you do get sick.

If you have lost your income because of COVID-19, you may be able to receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The CERB gives a payment of $2,000 for a 4-week period ($500 a week) for up to 16 weeks.

You may be eligible for the CERB if you:

• reside in Canada (including temporary foreign workers)
• have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted your EI regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020
• had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of your application, and
• have not quit your job voluntarily

Note: You will not be eligible for the CERB for the initial quarantine period, so please do not apply for that period.

Apply for the CERB

Read the CERB questions and answers

You may qualify for the Special Goods and Services Tax (GST) Credit payment. The amount you may receive will be calculated based on the information you provided in your 2018 income tax and benefit return. This is only applicable if you filed income taxes for 2018.

Contacts for questions or help related to COVID-19

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) responds to public health emergencies. For more information about COVID-19, please visit Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The information presented there is reliable, accurate and up to date.

Each province and territory in Canada has its own health care system. People who work for the health care system in the province or territory where you live will help you if you have concerns about your health. You can contact them.

Contacts to report your employer for not respecting the COVID-19 requirements

For information about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, what is expected from employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and frequently asked questions, visit Temporary Foreign Worker Program – COVID-19

Some documents are also available in Spanish, as well as in French.

Use the confidential Government of Canada Tip Line (1-866-602-9448) if your employer is:

• forcing you to work during the initial quarantine period
• not paying you during the initial quarantine period
• not providing you with cleaning supplies during the initial quarantine period (applicable only if your employer is providing you with housing).
• interfering with the quarantine requirements (for example, preventing you from accessing groceries, etc.)
• housing workers in quarantine with workers who are not in quarantine
• not isolating and providing a worker who has signs/symptoms with a private bedroom and bathroom (applicable only if your employer is providing you with housing)
• preventing you from following the instructions of public health officials

You can also report your employer by using the multi-lingual Online Fraud Reporting Tool

You can also notify the RCMP, local law enforcement, and local health authorities.