Ebola border and immigration restrictions

Summary#

• The government has issued two linked emergency orders to limit the risk of Ebola entering Canada.
  One, the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order (Immigration Applications and Documents), temporarily pauses certain immigration applications and some issued travel documents for people living in three affected countries.
  The other, the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026 under the Quarantine Act, requires health screening and 21‑day quarantine or isolation for travellers who were in those countries recently.

What it does#

• Immigration document suspension (effective May 27, 2026 to August 28, 2026)

  • Applies to foreign nationals outside Canada who say they reside in Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda.
  • Temporarily suspends processing of applications for:
    • permanent resident visas, temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorizations (eTAs), work permits, study permits, and temporary resident permits.
  • Suspends some already‑issued documents (permanent and temporary visas, eTAs, temporary resident permits) held by those residents so they cannot board flights to Canada while suspended.
  • Allows the Minister to exempt individuals, and to amend or repeal the order.
  • Transit exception: people already en route at the time the order starts may be excepted.

• Entry, health assessment, quarantine/isolation (effective May 30, 2026 to August 29, 2026; with a continuing obligation in some cases until October 10, 2026)

  • The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) requires travellers who have been in the listed countries, or any country later designated as “high” or “very high” risk, in the prior 21 days to:
    • disclose their travel history on arrival and undergo a health assessment;
    • if asymptomatic, provide a suitable quarantine plan and quarantine for 21 days, or go to a designated quarantine facility if they cannot provide a plan;
    • if symptomatic, be immediately isolated, medically examined and remain isolated until cleared.
  • Lists limited exemptions (e.g., aircrew, certain diplomats, people entering to assist the Ebola response, Canadian Forces, some medical transporters), who must still self‑monitor.
  • Specifies monitoring and reporting rules while in quarantine or isolation.
  • Sets penalties for non‑compliance: up to $1,000,000 fine and/or three years in prison.

Who's affected#

• Foreign nationals who are outside Canada and who say they live in Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda. They face suspended application processing and, in some cases, suspended travel documents.
• Travellers of any nationality arriving in Canada who were in those countries (or any country later judged “high” or “very high” risk) within the prior 21 days. They will face screening and possible 21‑day quarantine or isolation on arrival.
• People already mid‑travel when the orders start may be treated differently (transit exception).
• The governments and agencies carrying out the measures include Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
• IRCC data cited in the notices shows roughly 24,548 valid immigration documents and about 36,060 permanent‑resident files in the processing inventory for people listing those countries as their residence (numbers from late May 2026).

Why it matters#

• These are precautionary public‑health steps aimed at reducing the chance Ebola is imported to Canada.
• If you live, work, or have family in the listed countries, expect delays to visa and permit processing and possible suspension of existing travel documents for the time the order is in effect.
• If you travel to Canada and have been in those countries in the last 21 days, you should plan for arrival screening and a 21‑day quarantine or isolation period. That may disrupt travel plans, work starts, or study start dates.
• Non‑compliance carries serious legal penalties.
• The orders are temporary and include ministerial powers to exempt individuals or to change or end the measures as the situation evolves.