The federal government has issued an Order in Council under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, temporarily suspending the issuance and processing of visas, eTAs, work permits and study permits for foreign nationals residing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The measure, published in the Canada Gazette on 13 June 2026, will last 90 days and can be extended.
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VisaHQ, an independent visa and travel-documentation service, is already tracking the suspension and can help employers, students and travelers navigate contingency plans, seek humanitarian exemptions, or prepare compliant filings once processing resumes; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
The order is part of a broader two-pronged response that includes Quarantine Act controls and enhanced airport screening at Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto Pearson and other major gateways. Ottawa argues that the pause is necessary to prevent importation of Ebola as the World Health Organization classifies the outbreak risk as “very high” at the national level in the DRC. Under the new statute, Cabinet can now cancel or vary immigration documents on a large scale when public interest is at stake—a power it lacked before the Act came into force on 26 March 2026. The authority mirrors the United States’ Title 42 provisions invoked last month, reflecting a coordinated North-American health-security stance. Immigration counsel note that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration retains discretion to grant case-by-case exemptions on humanitarian grounds. Nevertheless, roughly 36,000 pending permanent-residence and temporary-residence files are effectively on hold, and about 1,700 approved visa holders will not be allowed to travel until at least late August. Corporate mobility teams with operations in Central Africa should place assignees on alternative locations or remote arrangements. Employers already hosting workers from the affected countries in Canada should ensure that extension filings reference the individuals’ current Canadian residence to avoid inadvertent refusal.
VisaHQ, an independent visa and travel-documentation service, is already tracking the suspension and can help employers, students and travelers navigate contingency plans, seek humanitarian exemptions, or prepare compliant filings once processing resumes; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
The order is part of a broader two-pronged response that includes Quarantine Act controls and enhanced airport screening at Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto Pearson and other major gateways. Ottawa argues that the pause is necessary to prevent importation of Ebola as the World Health Organization classifies the outbreak risk as “very high” at the national level in the DRC. Under the new statute, Cabinet can now cancel or vary immigration documents on a large scale when public interest is at stake—a power it lacked before the Act came into force on 26 March 2026. The authority mirrors the United States’ Title 42 provisions invoked last month, reflecting a coordinated North-American health-security stance. Immigration counsel note that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration retains discretion to grant case-by-case exemptions on humanitarian grounds. Nevertheless, roughly 36,000 pending permanent-residence and temporary-residence files are effectively on hold, and about 1,700 approved visa holders will not be allowed to travel until at least late August. Corporate mobility teams with operations in Central Africa should place assignees on alternative locations or remote arrangements. Employers already hosting workers from the affected countries in Canada should ensure that extension filings reference the individuals’ current Canadian residence to avoid inadvertent refusal.
