International students require a quarantine strategy at Canada
Intelligent Overseas Education Pvt. Ltd, Chennai Travel Update: Before the Canada fall semester, the Canadian government reminds international students of border restrictions and quarantine strategy.
Although Canada has begun to relax border restrictions, having a quarantine plan is still required at the border — even if you do not intend to use it, travellers who have received all of their vaccinations will no longer be required to quarantine for two weeks. Starting on August 9, if you are fully vaccinated, you will no longer be required to submit to an on-site test unless you are randomly selected. Currently, Canada only considers you to be “fully vaccinated” if it has been 14 days since you received the final dose of a vaccine that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved. Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, and Janssen are currently among the companies involved. Other than that, you are still considered a non-immunized person.
The final part of hotel quarantine, during which travellers must pay to stay in a hotel that the government has approved, is celebrated on August 9. It would be best if you still arrived at the boundary with an appropriate quarantine precaution in place. The border officer gets to decide that you do not qualify for the exemption. Opportunities for medical students arriving in Canada this fall, the federal government put out a press release reminding them of the procedures they must follow to enter the country.
Who is eligible to study in Canada?
To study in Canada, you will need two things: first, you must have a valid passport:
- A viable study permit or a letter of introduction indicating that you have been granted permission to study; and
- Entrants must be registered students at a designated educational university with a COVID-19 readiness plan in place. One can find the most recent version of the list on the government’s website.
Students travelling from India will have to work around the ban on direct flights to the United States. According to the airline, direct flights between Canada and the United States have been suspended until August 21. Those travelling from India can take an indirect route, but they will be required to undergo a pre-departure COVID-19 test in a third country before arriving in Canada.
Plan for Quarantine
As part of its COVID-19 readiness plan, you should have already begun thinking about how you will manage the quarantine period for international students. They should also provide you with access to food and medicine while you are in their care. Before you travel to Canada, speak with your institution about obtaining assistance in developing a quarantine plan that you must submit to border officials via the ArriveCAN app (accessed through your smartphone). Officer-traveller communication has been maintained through the use of this app throughout the pandemic, and it is where you will submit all of the documents you will need for travel.
If you are considered fully vaccinated, you still require a quarantine strategy, as previously stated. A certified translation of your vaccination certificate is required if your proof of vaccination is not in English or French.
Rules are subject to modification.
Coronavirus surveillance continues in Canada and worldwide, with health officials keeping an eye on the situation. Any modification to border security measures is the responsibility of Health Canada. Other departments, including those responsible for the Canadian border, are working to put the health department’s recommendations into action.
However, while international travel bans are under the federal government’s jurisdiction, provincial governments are in charge of their respective healthcare systems. The federal government provides a list of the websites of each local government, which includes information on travel-related policies. In addition, your educational institution will have its own set of COVID standards and procedures.
