In its weekly immigration bulletin, Crown World Mobility confirmed that Canada’s temporary border restrictions responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remain in force and have been extended through 29 August 2026. Under an emergency order issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, immigration documents—including temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorisations (eTAs) and even confirmed permanent resident visas—are suspended for applicants who are residents of the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan. Travellers of any nationality who have been in the affected countries within the previous 21 days may still enter Canada but must complete a supervised three-week quarantine if asymptomatic. Those displaying symptoms are transferred directly to designated isolation wards. The measures, grounded in the Quarantine Act, were first introduced on 27 May but are now highlighted in the government’s June mobility briefing as the World Cup raises inbound-travel volumes. Corporate mobility teams should note that application processing from the three high-risk countries is on hold; employers seeking to transfer staff from subsidiaries in Kinshasa, Kampala or Juba will need to revisit project timelines. Airline crews and medical-aid workers continue to qualify for limited exemptions but must carry proof of negative PCR testing conducted within 72 hours of departure. Immigration lawyers caution that suspended files will not automatically progress once the order expires; applicants may be asked to provide updated medical exams and police certificates. Companies with global operations should therefore budget for additional document-refresh costs and consider interim remote-work arrangements for affected assignees. While the overall risk to Canadians remains low, officials say the stringent approach is warranted given the influx of international visitors for the FIFA World Cup. The Public Health Agency will review the epidemiological situation again in mid-July.
Source: Crown World Mobility
