Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced added strengthening measures at Ports of Entry (POEs).

These measures include increasing the number of federal public health officers at the POEs that typically account for 90 per cent of normal border activity. The Public Health Agency of Canada is also increasing the number of calls designated screening officers can process, which currently sits at almost 8,000 calls daily.

With enhanced health measures in place, IRCC plans to accelerate the reunification of certain families, the entry of some international students, and entry on compassionate grounds. This includes the following groups:

• extended family members of citizens and permanent residents of Canada, such as those in exclusive romantic relationships of at least one year

• foreign nationals for compassionate reasons including life-threatening illness, critical injury, or death

• international students if they attend a designated learning institution with an identified COVID-19 readiness plan More details on qualifying factors will be released on October 8, 2020.

Source: Canada.ca