Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Foreign workers
We recognize that the travel restrictions have an impact on many people who can’t travel to Canada right now. These restrictions stop most discretionary travel to Canada.
On this page
If you’re outside Canada
Travel restrictions and exemptions for temporary workers
As a temporary worker, you’re exempt from travel restrictions if you’re coming for a non-discretionary purpose.
Certain people who can work without a permit may also be exempt from travel restrictions.
The Government of Canada’s travel restrictions and exemptions are set out on this page. The province or territory where you’ll work may have additional restrictions.
Non-discretionary travel for a temporary worker
Non-discretionary refers to travel for reasons that are non-optional. The emergency orders under the Quarantine Act do not allow people to travel to Canada for optional or discretionary reasons, such as for tourism, recreation or entertainment.
As a worker, your travel is non-discretionary if you’re in either of these situations:
- You have a valid work permit and normally live in Canada.
- This applies even if you’ve been laid off.
- You’re a worker who meets all of the following:
- has a letter of introduction for a work permit (open or employer-specific)
- has a valid job offer
- can work once you enter Canada and complete your 14-day quarantine (unless you’re exempt)
Discretionary travel for a temporary worker
Your travel is discretionary if you have a letter of introduction for an employer-specific work permit, but your employer has closed their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can’t travel to Canada if the purpose of your travel is discretionary.
How to bring your family members with you
Your immediate family members may be able to come with you to Canada. They can travel to Canada if they meet one of the conditions below:
- they’re travelling directly from the U.S. for a non-discretionary purpose
- they have a written authorization from IRCC to reunite with a temporary resident of Canada (see Uniting with immediate family members for more information)
- they have a letter of introduction for an open work permit
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.
Work without a work permit
If you’re coming from the U.S.
You’re exempt from the travel restrictions if:
- you’re eligible to work without a work permit and
- you’re coming for a non-discretionary purpose
This includes business visitors.
You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days unless you’re exempt from the quarantine requirements.
If you’re coming from a country other than the U.S.
You’re exempt from the travel restrictions only if you either
- belong to one of the following job categories
- any person whose purpose is to deliver, maintain or repair medical equipment or devices
- air or marine crew members
- emergency service providers
- health-care students
- any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries
- technicians or specialists installing, inspecting, repairing or maintaining equipment
- commercial or research open-water aquaculture workers
- have a national interest exemption
No other work permit-exempt workers can enter Canada at this time.
Applying for a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA)
Even if you can work without a work permit, you may still need a visitor visa or eTA to enter Canada.
We’ve temporarily changed how to apply for a visitor visa or eTA to ensure that your application is processed.
Most applicants need to follow these instructions to apply for a visitor visa or eTA.
Crew members joining a vessel, and a few other groups must apply through the IRCC Portal for a visitor visa.
You must apply for a visitor visa through the IRCC Portal if you’re coming to Canada to
- attend an end-of-life ceremony or funeral
- be present during the final moments of life for a loved one
- provide care to a critically ill person
- join a vessel as a crew member
- assume a posting as a diplomat or travel as an accompanying immediate family member of a diplomat arriving on posting who will also be accredited in Canada
When you travel to Canada to work without a work permit
You need to show airline staff that you’re exempt from the travel restrictions. To do this, show the following documents to airline personnel when you’re boarding your flight:
- a passport or travel document
- proof that you’re exempt from travel restrictions, such as
- Emergency services providers — A letter of invitation from a relevant organization in Canada (government or non-government organization).
- Health-care students — A letter of invitation from a relevant teaching institution.
- Marine crew joining vessels — A joining letter from shipping agents.
- Technicians or specialists — Evidence that you’ll install, inspect, repair or maintain equipment on critical infrastructure.
- Commercial or research open-water aquaculture workers — Evidence that you’ll carry out aquaculture-related activities on a foreign-owned vessel.
If you haven’t applied for a work permit yet
Due to COVID-19, we can’t
- process applications normally
- provide accurate processing times
To keep processing applications from people who are exempt from the travel restrictions, we’re temporarily changing how you can apply to visit, work or study in Canada.
You must apply online when you apply for a work permit from outside Canada.
Priority processing for work permit applicants
People who perform or support essential services
We’re prioritizing applications for people who perform or support essential services, such as
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers—retail and wholesale (NOC 6331)
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)
- Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC 8252)
- General farm workers (NOC 8431)
- Nursery and greenhouse workers (NOC 8432)
- Harvesting labourers (NOC 8611)
- Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 9463)
- Labourers in food and beverage processing (NOC 9617)
- Labourers in fish and seafood processing (NOC 9618)
- Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers (NOC 9462)
Health-care occupations
- Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors (NOC 3011)
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012)
- Specialist physicians (NOC 3111)
- General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112)
- Allied primary health practitioners (NOC 3124)
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 3125)
- Pharmacists (NOC 3131)
- Medical laboratory technologists (NOC 3211)
- Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants (NOC 3212)
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (NOC 3214)
- Medical radiation technologists (NOC 3215)
- Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. (NOC 3217)
- Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233)
- Paramedical occupations (NOC 3234)
- Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413)
- Home child care providers (LMIA-required in-Canada applicants) (NOC 4411)
- Home support workers, excluding housekeepers (LMIA-required in-Canada applicants) (NOC 4412)
If this applies to you, you don’t need to do anything to get priority processing.
Film and television workers
You’re eligible for priority processing if you apply online for your work permit and you’re either
- outside Canada and the U.S.
- in the U.S. and need a visitor visa to enter Canada
How to get priority processing
After you apply for your work permit, you must use the web form to tell us that you’re a film and TV worker. When you complete the form, copy and paste the message below into the Your enquiry field:
“FILMTV2020: Requesting priority processing for Film & TV Industry workers due to COVID-19.”
Where possible, you’ll get a decision on your application within 3 weeks (5 days to identify your application for priority processing and 14 days to process it).
If you don’t include the code FILMTV2020, it may take longer to identify your application.
Processing times outside Canada
Due to COVID-19, we can’t provide accurate processing times.
Check your application status to get updates on
- your application
- where we’re at with processing during the pandemic
Most people can’t apply at a port of entry
You should only apply for a work permit at a Canadian port of entry during this time if you meet all of these conditions:
- You’re entering Canada from the U.S.
- You have a plan to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Canada.
- You have a valid job offer.
- You meet all other requirements to apply at a port of entry.
Completing your application
Office closures or service changes due to COVID-19 may affect how you complete some steps in the application process. Find out how COVID-19 has affected
If we ask you to submit documents for an application in progress
Because many applicants can now provide the supporting documents needed for us to process applications, we’ll no longer be automatically giving you more time to submit information.
- We’ll contact you to request the supporting documents.
- This will happen in the next few months.
- You’ll have 30 days from the date we contact you to submit the information.
- Start collecting your documents.
- Do this before we contact you. It can take time to get certain documents.
- Check the last email we sent you to confirm what you need to submit.
- Don’t travel to another city or country to get the supporting documents.
- We’ll consider extending your deadline if you have a reasonable explanation that shows you’re affected by COVID-19.
Find out what to do if you still have documents to provide for your application.
If you’ve been approved for a work permit
Due to COVID-19, there are additional requirements for workers travelling to Canada.
Make sure you’re prepared to arrive in Canada.
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. Use the checklist that applies to you:
Hotel stop over: Exemption for agriculture, agri-food and seafood workers
Some agriculture, agri-food and seafood workers won’t have to complete the 3-night hotel stopover. Find out if this applies to you.
If you’re already in Canada
If you’re already in Canada, in most cases, you must apply online to extend your work permit or get a new work permit.
If you can’t apply online because of a disability or because there is a problem with the online application, you can apply on paper.
Check your application status
Due to COVID-19, we can’t provide accurate processing times.
Check your application status to get updates on
- your application
- where we’re at with processing during the pandemic
COVID-19: Changes to biometrics requirement for in-Canada temporary residence applicants
As a temporary measure, if you’re in Canada and applying to work, study or stay temporarily in Canada, you do not need to give your biometrics. Learn more about the exemption.
If we ask you to submit documents for an application in progress
Because many applicants can now provide the supporting documents needed for us to process applications, we’ll no longer be automatically giving you more time to submit information.
- We’ll contact you to request the supporting documents.
- This will happen in the next few months.
- You’ll have 30 days from the date we contact you to submit the information.
- Start collecting your documents.
- Do this before we contact you. It can take time to get certain documents.
- Check the last email we sent you to confirm what you need to submit.
- Don’t travel to another city or country to get the supporting documents.
- We’ll consider extending your deadline if you have a reasonable explanation that shows you’re affected by COVID-19.
Find out what to do if you still have documents to provide for your application.
If you have a valid work permit
Change your status to visitor
Extend your stay in Canada as a visitor if you’re no longer working
Change jobs or employers
Get permission to work while we process your employer-specific work permit
If you don’t have a valid work permit
Visitors who need work permits
Temporary process for visitors to apply online for a work permit (includes former workers who changed status in the last 12 months)
Workers whose status as a worker has expired
Restore your status and ask for permission to work while we process your employer-specific work permit
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