3/19 Border Closing Update:
Non-essential travel across the Canada-U.S. border will stop sometime before Saturday morning, Justin Trudeau said Thursday morning.
The Prime Minister clarified the timeline for the partial closure at his news conference:
“My understanding is that the measures will probably come into place in the night between Friday and Saturday," he told reporters. "So in about a day and a half.”
He also suggested the next items on the government’s to-do list, after the stimulus announced yesterday, was ramping up the production of medical supplies in Canada and providing more targeted financial support for seniors. He did not provide details on either measure.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Canada and the United States are finalizing a deal to close their shared border to “non-essential travel”. Once finalized, the mutual agreement would close the border to tourists and shoppers while still allowing Canadians and Americans to return home. The final deal is expected to allow some commercial traffic to continue to keep critical supply chains intact, and also not to hinder trade. We are still waiting for clarification from the U.S. and Canadian governments regarding which activities are still permissible and count as "trade".
We strongly believe that our clients holding either U.S. or Canada work visa may increasingly encounter difficulties in crossing the Canada/U.S. border in the coming days. Given the circumstances, we request that you reassess the urgency of your upcoming work trip(s). We strongly advise you not to leave the U.S. or Canada without informing us first.
Please refer to links below for details:
Canada, U.S. working on mutual deal to restrict non-essential travel
Trump says US, Canada to close border to 'non-essential traffic' amid coronavirus
COVID-19: Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel for indefinite period
Moreover, in order to limit face-to-face contact, immigration offices and service centers are closing their doors to applicants. If you have an upcoming appointment with the Canadian or U.S. Consulates in the coming weeks, please expect a cancellation. Please note that we are not able to reschedule cancelled appointments at this time, as the appointment rescheduling options have been blocked. We will reschedule your cancelled appointment as soon as the option is restored.
We will be sure to keep you updated. In the meantime, we offer our best wishes for your continued health and that of your loved ones and your communities.
If you have questions about your immigration application, contact Ackah Law today at (403) 452-9515 Ext. 100 or 1-800-932-1190 or email contact@ackahlaw.com.
