Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) has been advocating for a number of measures to facilitate the entry of international students to and within Canada. We’re pleased to share the following adjustments to Canada’s border and travel measures: Effective November 30th, 2021, Canada will expand the list of COVID-19 vaccines that travellers can receive to be considered fully vaccinated for the purpose of travel to Canada. The list will include Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN, matching the World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing. The expanded list of COVID-19 vaccines will also apply to the national vaccination requirement for domestic travel in the... Read more

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) has been advocating for a number of measures to facilitate the entry of international students to and within Canada. We’re pleased to share that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will allow time spent studying online from outside of Canada to count towards Post-Graduate Work Permit eligibility until August 31st, 2022.

We’ve received written confirmation from officials at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that, effective November 3rd, 2021, international students may be able to enter Canada more than 4 weeks prior to the start of their program provided they meet all other entry requirements and the time between their arrival and the start of their program of study is considered reasonable as determined by a CBSA official at the port of entry. This information is being communicated to all front-line CBSA staff in Canada and abroad and also with airlines. Please note that International students who are not fully vaccinated... Read more

Postgraduate Work Permit Eligibility and Online Study from Within Canada Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is pleased to share that, according to officials at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) international students in Canada who engage in distance learning will remain eligible for the Post-Graduate Work Permit if courses were moved online due to the pandemic. This temporary flexibility is not tied to December 31st, 2021 and will continue until further notice. They recommend, however, that students be in class when possible. We continue to work with IRCC to ensure that policies reflect the evolving nature of program delivery and... Read more

Effective October 30, all travellers must be fully vaccinated in order to board a domestic flight, or travel by train. A transition period will extend to November 30 where a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel will be accepted in lieu of full vaccination records. We understand the implications for international students who are not fully vaccinated with a Health Canada approved vaccine and are engaging with relevant federal departments to work towards an accommodation that will allow them to transit to their final destination. We will provide additional details when available.

On September 24, 2021, the Government of Canada announced the ban on direct flights from Morocco to Canada has been extended to Thursday, October 28, 2021, 23:59. Passengers originating from Morocco who choose to travel to Canada from Morocco via an indirect route will need to obtain a pre-departure negative COVID-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) continues to engage with various federal departments towards solutions that would facilitate the resumption of direct air travel from Morocco to Canada. For important information related to current travel, testing and... Read more

For many months, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) has been engaging with various federal departments towards solutions that would re-open direct air travel from India to Canada. We are pleased to share that, as of September 26, 2021, at 23:59 EDT, direct flights from India to Canada will resume. Once the restriction on direct flights expires, travellers eligible to enter Canada will be able to board direct flights from India to Canada with some additional measures. For more information, please visit the Government of Canada Website. The current suspension of direct flights from Morocco remains in place until at least... Read more

As of September 7, 2021, Canada has allowed entry of travellers from any country for discretionary reasons if they have been fully vaccinated with Government of Canada-accepted vaccines, at least 14 days prior to entering Canada, and if they also meet specific entry requirements. PHAC has developed a Digital Engagement Kit to support the changes in the Sept. 7 border measures and modified travel requirements. The kit was developed for partners and stakeholders to deepen their understanding and communicate up to date border and travel requirements for entering Canada during COVID-19. Important clarifications contained in the kit and available on... Read more

In recent weeks, member institutions have reported several examples of international students denied boarding due to inconsistencies in how airline staff have interpreted official government of Canada policies and guidelines. As a priority, CICan is engaging directly with relevant federal officials on this issue. As a result, and to minimize issues going forward, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Transport Canada have, within the past 48 hours, reiterated the requirements to airlines, including what documentation is required and that a final determination as to whether a student meets the requirements should be made by a government official at the... Read more

CICan is pleased to provide this update related to recently announced changes to travel requirements. In addition to the news releases of July 5th and July 19th, and backgrounder (specific to international students), federal officials held a virtual news conference announcing upcoming changes. It is expected that the following changes will be confirmed in subsequent updates to existing Orders in Council. As of July 5th, 2021, travelers who are eligible to enter Canada and who are fully vaccinated with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine are not required to quarantine, complete a day-8 test, or stay at a government-authorized accommodation (GAA) to await their on-arrival test result. Beginning on August 9th, American citizens... Read more