Immigration

Canada | Temporary border measures introduced in response to Ebola outbreak  

Summary

The Government of Canada has introduced temporary immigration and border measures in response to the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and increased risks in Uganda and South Sudan. These measures are intended to mitigate the risk of Ebola entering and spreading within Canada and will impact travel and application processing for individuals connected to affected regions.

The detail

Effective May 27, 2026 at 23:59 EDT, the Government of Canada has implemented a 90-day suspension of immigration documents for residents of countries identified as having a high or very high Ebola risk. Currently, this includes:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Uganda
• South Sudan

As a result:

• Valid temporary resident visas (TRVs), electronic travel authorizations (eTAs), and permanent resident visas issued to residents of these countries will be temporarily suspended, and holders will not be permitted to travel to Canada during this period.
• Processing of new applications for these immigration documents from residents of the affected countries will be paused.
• Additional public health measures will come into effect on May 30, 2026 at 23:59 EDT and are expected to remain in place until August 29, 2026.
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents, persons registered under the Indian Act, and foreign nationals who have been in the affected countries in the previous 21 days and are asymptomatic will be required to quarantine for 21 days upon arrival in Canada.
• Travellers who do not have a suitable place to quarantine will be provided with an appropriate facility.
• Travellers presenting symptoms will be isolated in a hospital for further assessment.

Individuals already in Canada are not impacted and may continue to remain in Canada for the duration of their authorized stay. Canadian citizens and permanent residents could still return but will be subject to screening at ports of entry.

What this means

• Travel to Canada is temporarily restricted for residents of affected countries, even where valid immigration documents have already been issued.
• Delays should be expected for immigration applications tied to these regions due to the pause in processing.
• Individuals with recent travel history to affected countries will be subject to strict quarantine requirements upon arrival.
• Employers and organizations may face disruption to international mobility and onboarding timelines for impacted employees and candidates.

Next steps

It is recommended that companies with employees travelling to or from any of the affected regions take the following steps. Note that these changes, including impacted regions, may be subject to change and it is advised that travellers continue to monitor immigration updates.

• Review any upcoming travel involving impacted regions and assess risks and timing.
• Inform affected employees and applicants of current travel restrictions and anticipated processing delays.
• Consider contingency planning for business travel and workforce mobility.
• Monitor government updates closely, as measures may change with limited notice.

Want to learn more

For further details regarding this, or any other immigration matter, please contact a member of our team at Vialto Partners LLP.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Nadine Landry
Partner

Melodie Molina
Partner

Sharon An
Partner

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