As of July 1, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will resume processing of online applications for visitor visas (including transit visas) and electronic travel authorizations (eTAs).
By resuming processing and making final decisions where possible on visitor applications, this will help expedite travel for applicants once the travel restrictions are lifted and this will also help IRCC ensure future processing times are not backlogged or significantly delayed once normal operations begin.
This is great news in terms of processing the application; however, CURRENTLY TRAVEL PERMITTED TO CANADA IS NOT PERMITTED due to current travel restrictions. Even if you apply and receive a visitor visa or eTA, most people will not be able to travel to Canada at this time.Travel exemptions are for family members who are staying for more than 15 days or who are coming to Canada for an essential reason, skilled workers in food processing, agriculture, transport, and others.
In addition to travel visas, IRCC continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. At this time, paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice.
IRCC has placed measures in place to ensure applicants have adequate time to complete all the necessary steps in the application process, including providing biometrics, which will be easier now that some visa application centres (VACs) are starting to reopen. Please check the website for the VAC closest to you, so you can book an appointment to give biometrics as soon as you are able to.
Please be advise, that if you are eligible to travel to Canada, you must have a plan for a mandatory 14-day quarantine, regardless of whether you are asymptomatic. Those who don’t have a plan should not travel to Canada.
We’ll continue to monitor and provide updates on further processing changes, including when the travel restrictions will be lifted. We will provide updates on our website as they become available.
