Travel between Canada and the United States has been restricted since March 21, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreements have since been renewed on a monthly basis.
Those who are travelling to Canada and are exempt still have to demonstrate that the purpose of their trip is for an essential reason and related to critical infrastructure support, trade, work, study or family reunification. Essential travel is defined as travel which is non-optional and non-discretionary.
With few exceptions, those who enter Canada from abroad must undergo 14 days of self-isolation. Furthermore, they must demonstrate that they have an adequate quarantine plan.
Those who wish to travel to Canada for other non-essential reasons, such as cross-border shopping, to go to their cottage or to visit friends, unfortunately, cannot do so at this time.
Last Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that immediate family members will be able to enter Canada as of June 8, 2020 so long as they meet certain conditions such as coming to Canada for at least 15 days. Since this exemption was announced, the federal government has issued more guidelines to help immediate family enter Canada.
Working in Canada
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Canada has put in place several policies to allow workers and students to come to Canada despite border closures.
Most notably, Canada has implemented measures that help employers address labour shortages and facilitate the hiring process of foreign workers. As a result, those who wish to work in Canada may use an accelerated work permit authorization process. Priority processing has also been put in place for some essential occupations.
Canadian employers looking to hire foreign workers in the fields of Information Technology and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) can also do so through the Global Talent Stream. This popular stream allows work permits to be processed in as little as two weeks for those individuals who have eligible job offers in Canada’s tech industry.
Normally, online courses do not count toward the study requirement for a PGWP application. However, given coronavirus-related travel interruptions around the world, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has relaxed the rules and is now allowing international students to study online while overseas and still be eligible to apply for the work permit after graduation.
IRCC is also exempting overseas biometrics requirements for some foreign workers and has indicated it will aim to process as many study permits as possible in time for the start of the fall 2020 academic semester.
Canada has over 80 economic class immigration pathways
With the H1-B visa program in the United States in jeopardy and the tens of thousands of foreign workers who have placed their hopes in this program worried about their future, the prospect of moving from the United States to Canada may become an increasingly appealing option.
Unlike the U.S where immigration has been temporarily banned, the Canadian government remains committed to welcoming immigrants and the immigration minister Marco Mendicino has made several remarks that immigration will continue to be key to Canada’s economic success and post-coronavirus recovery.
Both the federal government and provinces have the authority to operate immigration programs. Collectively, they run over 80 pathways available to skilled workers under Canada’s economic class.
The most common way to seek permanent residence in Canada is through the Express Entry system. Throughout the pandemic, Canada has continued to hold bi-monthly rounds of invitations through the Express Entry system, with most recent draw having taken place on June 11.
The second most common way to obtain permanent residence is through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Most Canadian provinces and territories have their own PNP with each one specifically designed to target immigrants who match specific labour market and economic needs in their respective regions.
PNPs have been active over the past few weeks, with invitation rounds taking place in most Canadian provinces. In fact, more than 2,000 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence have been issued in May and already over 1,000 in June.
Why applicants from the U.S. have a competitive advantage
Immigration applicants from the U.S. are well-placed to gain Canadian permanent residence due to their English-language fluency, professional work experience, and high levels of education. It is for these reasons that U.S. residents are among the top 3 sources of successful candidates under Express Entry.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season and 32nd overall, helping the Los Angeles Kings beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.
Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala also scored. The Kings have won two of their last three.
Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators. They are 1-2-1 in their last four.
Kopitar opened the scoring with 6:36 remaining in the opening period. Saros denied the Kings captain’s first shot, but Kopitar collected the rebound below the goal line and banked it off the netminder’s skate.
Fiala, a former Predator, made it 2-0 35 seconds into the third.
The Kings held Nashville to just three third-period shots on goal, the first coming with 3:55 remaining and Saros pulled for an extra attacker.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Monday:
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DEVILS 3 OILERS 0
EDMONTON, Alta. (AP) — Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his NHL career, helping the New Jersey Devils close their western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored. The Devils improved to 8-5-2. They have won three of their last four after a four-game skid.
Calvin Pickard made 13 saves for Edmonton. The Oilers had won two straight.
Travel between Canada and the United States has been restricted since March 21, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreements have since been renewed on a monthly basis.
