Ban on Non-essential Entry from U.S.

Summary#

This is the Order called Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Prohibition of Entry into Canada from the United States). It ran from April 22, 2020 to May 21, 2020 and mostly barred foreign nationals from entering Canada from the United States to prevent importing COVID‑19 cases.

What it does#

• Prohibits a foreign national from entering Canada from the United States if they have COVID‑19 symptoms (for example, a fever with cough or breathing difficulties).
• Bars foreign nationals from entering from the United States for optional or discretionary reasons such as tourism, recreation, or entertainment.
• Bars entry when the person’s planned stay makes it impossible to follow the required 14‑day quarantine or isolation rules (set by the related mandatory isolation order).
• Restricts people seeking to make a refugee claim from entering from the United States except in limited cases:
  • they enter at a designated land port and meet rules under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA); or
  • they are covered by specific exceptions (for example, certain classes listed in immigration regulations or persons whose presence is deemed in the national or public interest by the relevant ministers).
• Exempts certain people from the Order, including:
  • people registered under the Indian Act,
  • people the Chief Public Health Officer determines do not pose a public health risk,
  • and protected persons under immigration law.
• Repeals an earlier order (listed as P.C. 2020‑0185 in the text).
• Notes penalties for breaching Quarantine Act rules can include a fine up to $1,000,000 or imprisonment up to 3 years, or both.

Who's affected#

• Foreign nationals (people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents) planning to cross into Canada from the United States, especially:
  • tourists and people planning recreational visits,
  • people who cannot meet the 14‑day quarantine/isolation requirement,
  • some people seeking to make refugee or asylum claims at the Canada–U.S. land border (because access depends on STCA rules and specific exceptions).
• Travellers entering for essential or non‑discretionary reasons (health workers, temporary foreign workers, students, crews, diplomats, people delivering urgent supplies) could still be allowed, but they may be subject to quarantine and health screening.
• Border communities, transport companies, and the Canada Border Services Agency will be directly involved in applying the Order.

Why it matters#

• The Order aimed to reduce the chance of importing COVID‑19 from the United States during the pandemic. That could slow spread and protect health services.
• It changed travel plans for many non‑Canadian visitors and tightened rules for asylum claims at the land border. People planning cross‑border travel needed to check whether their trip was considered essential and whether they could meet quarantine rules.
• Enforcement carried serious penalties, so travellers and transporters had to follow the restrictions and the related mandatory isolation measures.