With Canada still under partial lockdown and travel restrictions, many businesses are thriving in Canada, and business people are flying to Canada to carry out investment activities in the country. Many industries in Canada are witnessing an unprecedented growth in revenues and also in their consumer bases.

In the past few months, Canada has welcomed many Canada Start-up visa holders wishing to set up their own business in the country. In 2020, the program alone welcomed 140 business people who obtained their permanent residency within six months of landing in Canada.

But, it’s not just about the start-up visa alone. You too can come to Canada and set up your business without worrying about the Covid-19 restrictions.

Many business travellers and skilled foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in Canada through economic migration programs can travel to Canada, get the required infrastructural support, offer economic services, undertake supply chain activities, and do anything considered essential by the Federal Government.

Though, we can’t ignore the fact that Covid-19 restrictions have halted the immigration in Canada to a great extent. The country still managed to welcome 65,830 newcomers and also granted them permanent residence in Canada during the first six months of 2020.

According to the latest travel restrictions, the government of Canada has highlighted a difference between non-Canadian travellers arriving to Canada from the United States and those coming from countries parts of the world.

As per the new travel guidelines, all travellers (regardless of the country) to Canada must quarantine themselves for 14 days. Foreigners coming from a country other than the United States by air must produce a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before boarding the flight.

Please note that non-essential travel to Canada is prohibited under the COVID-19 restrictions – excluding those exemptions for foreign nationals – Public Safety Canada has provided a list of essential services business travellers can get a reference from while arriving in Canada.

Business people coming to Canada from the United States must show that they meet one of the following needs identified deemed essential in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is issued by Public Safety Canada.

 Health

1) Workers providing COVID-19 testing

2) Workers that perform critical clinical research needed for COVID-19 response

3) Caregivers (e.g., physicians, dentists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection control and quality assurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, counsellors, speech pathologists and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists)

4) Hospital and laboratory personnel (including accounting, administrative, admitting and discharge, engineering, epidemiological, source organs, plasma and blood donation, food service, housekeeping, medical records, information technology and operational technology, nutritionists, sanitarians, respiratory therapists, etc.)

5) Workers in other medical facilities (including ambulatory health and surgical, blood banks, clinics, community mental health, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation, end stage renal disease, health departments, home health care, hospices, hospitals, long term care, procurement organizations, psychiatric facilities, and rural health clinics)

6) Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of medical equipment, medical devices, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, medical isotopes, pharmaceuticals and other health products, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, cannabis for medical purposes, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, tissue and paper towel products, and safety gear/clothing

7) Public health/community health workers, including those who compile, model, analyze and communicate public health information

8) Blood and plasma donors and the employees of the organizations that operate and manage related activities

9) Workers that manage health plans, billing, and health information, who cannot practically work remotely

10) Workers who conduct public health functions, conducting epidemiologic surveillance, compiling, analyzing and communicating public health information, who cannot practically work remotely

11) Workers performing cybersecurity functions at healthcare and public health facilities, who cannot practically work remotely

12) Workers performing security, incident management, and emergency operations functions at or on behalf of healthcare entities, who cannot practically work remotely

13) Workers who support food, shelter, and social services, addictions treatment and outreach, supervised consumption sites and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, such as those residing in shelters or children in care

14) Pharmacy employees

15) Workers performing mortuary services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemetery workers

16) Workers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper recovery, handling, identification, transportation, tracking, storage, and disposal of human remains and personal effects; certify cause of death; and facilitate access to mental/behavioral health services to the family members, responders, and survivors of an incident

17) Health care professionals providing emergency care including dentists optometrists and physio-therapists

18) Workers that provide critical personal support services in home and also provide residential services for individuals with disabilities, including those who maintain equipment for those with disabilities

19) Workers required to carry out construction and restoration projects and services associated with the health sector, including new facilities, expansions, renovations and conversions of spaces that could be repurposed for health care space.

Food

1) Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other outlets (such as convenience and pet food stores) that sells food and beverage products

2) Restaurant employees necessary to support take-out and food delivery operations

3) Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing (packers, meat processing, fish processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, fish and seafood, slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging

4) Workers including those employed in animal food, feed, by-product and ingredient production, processing, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to harvest and produce our food supply domestically

5) Agriculture and aquaculture workers and support service workers including those necessary for the growing, harvesting and processing of field crops (e.g., wheat, soybean, corn, hay, etc.); those responsible for fuel ethanol facilities, biodiesel facilities, renewable heating oil facilities, storage facilities, and other agricultural inputs

6) Workers undertaking traditional harvesting activities, including fishing, hunting and agricultural activities

7) Employees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers

8) Workers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retail

9) Company in-house cafeterias used to feed employees

10) Workers in food testing labs and those working in food safety (such as third-party food safety auditors)

11) Employees of companies engaged in the production of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aids

12) Animal agriculture workers to include those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed, animal nutrition consultation and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants and associated regulatory and government workforce, including provincial, territorial and federal inspectors

13) Employees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural, aquaculture, and fishery production and distribution.

Information and Technology

Communications

1) Maintenance of communications infrastructure (wireline, wireless, internet, broadcast, satellite, news), including privately owned and maintained communication systems and/or networks supported by sub-contractors. technicians, operators, call-centres, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations, Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipment and services

2) Workers who support radio, television, and media service.

3) Workers at independent system operators and regional transmission organizations, and network operations staff, engineers and/or technicians to manage the network or operate facilities

4) Workers required to carry out construction and restoration projects and services associated with the communications sector, including engineering of fibre optic cables and wireless sites

5) Installation, maintenance and repair technicians that establish, support or repair service as needed, including in critical consumer facing stores

6) Central office personnel to maintain and operate central office, data centres, and other network office facilities

7) Customer service and support staff, including managed and professional services as well as remote providers of support to transitioning employees to set up and maintain home offices, who interface with customers to manage or support service environments and security issues, including payroll, billing, fraud, and troubleshooting

8) Dispatchers involved with service repair, restoration, supply chain operations

9) Critical corporate support functions such as human resources, payroll, communications, security, finance, procurement, and real estate operations that support the customer and internal company networks

Information Technology

1) Workers who support command centres, including, but not limited to network operations command centres, broadcast operations control centres and security operations command centres

2) Data centre operators, including system administrators, HVAC and electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, data transfer solutions engineers, software and hardware engineers, and database administrators

3) Client service centres, field engineers, and other technicians supporting critical infrastructure, as well as manufacturers and supply chain vendors that provide hardware and software, and information technology equipment and services (to include microelectronics and semiconductors) for critical infrastructure

4) Workers responding to cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure, including medical facilities, governments and federal facilities, energy and utilities, and banks and financial institutions, and other critical infrastructure assets and personnel

5) Workers supporting the provision of essential global, national and local infrastructure for computing services (incl. cloud computing services), business infrastructure, web-based services, and critical manufacturing

6) Workers supporting communications systems and information technology used by critical infrastructure stakeholders

7) Critical corporate support functions such as human resources, payroll, communications, security, finance, procurement, and real estate operations that support the customer and internal company networks.

Transportation Workers

1) Truck transportation employees, including drivers, dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and commercial vehicle inspection station workers, rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect critical infrastructure (including those that require cross-border travel)

2) Employees of firms and shipping facilities providing administrative and support services that enable logistics operations, including distribution, cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use

3) Workers responsible for inspecting rail transport infrastructure, controlling rail traffic, and rail operating equipment

4) Workers responsible for operating dispatching passenger, commuter and freight trains and maintaining rail infrastructure and equipment

5) Maritime transportation workers, including those in the commercial shipping sector who ensure the continuity of operations and the fluidity of commercial shipping, such as vessel crew, port workers, mariners, equipment operators, longshoremen, sailors, marine pilots, marine agents, representatives of foreign ship owners, maintenance workers, tug captains, and others

6) Truck drivers, and conductors of other conveyances, involved in the transportation of essential goods and materials, and supporting infrastructure, capabilities, functions, and services

7) Transportation workers in support of any emergency response

8) Transportation service providers, including drivers, conducting transportation services necessary for activities of daily living (e.g. taxis, other private transportation providers, couriers)

9) Workers in organizations that provide transportation services to businesses and individuals, including by air, water, road, and rail, including providing logistical support, distribution services, warehousing and storage, including truck stops and tow operators

10) Transportation workers involved in construction work and necessary supporting services

11) Workers in organizations that provide materials and services for the operation, maintenance and safety of the transportation system, such as clearing snow, collision response, and completing needed repairs to the transportation system (e.g. road repairs)

12) Automotive and heavy vehicle repair and maintenance workers

13) Postal and shipping workers, to include private companies

14) Those working for distributors (to include service centres and related operations) of packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operations

15) Tow truck and vehicle rental workers

16) Employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers

17) Air transportation employees, including pilots, flight attendants and flight crew, air traffic controllers, ramp personnel, aviation security, and aviation management

18) Workers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo by air transportation, including flight crews, maintenance, airport operations, and other on-and off-airport facilities workers

19) Public/mass transportation workers, including those with maintenance, operations, and dispatch responsibilities.

Other Services

1) Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, escalator and elevator mechanics, home appliance service providers;

2) Ecommerce providers and employees;

3) HVAC companies and their employees;

4) Teachers;

5) Hotel Workers where hotels are used for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures;

6) Care and maintenance of contaminated sites;

7) Waste and garbage collectors and processors;

8) Child care services for essential workers, and home child care services of less than six children;

9) Mental health services;

10) Professional and other services that support lawmakers and the court system to ensure individuals have access to justice where critical interests are at stake;

11) Probation Officers;

12) Veterinarians, veterinary technicians and necessary support staff;

13) Janitorial and cleaning services;

14) Health and welfare of animals, including boarding kennels, stables, animal shelters, zoos, aquariums, research facilities and other service providers;

15) Suppliers of office products and services;

16) Hotel employees;

17) Land registration, real estate, home inspection, and moving services, and;

18) Workers necessary to providing freight forwarding and customs brokerage services

Canada Needs More Immigrants to Recover its Economy Post Pandemic

The federal government of Canada is committed to bring more immigrants in the next few years to recover its struggling economy post Covid-19 period. Not only skilled, but Canada business visa applicants will also get the preference.

Marco Mendicino, the Immigration Minister of Canada has said that immigration is critical to bring economy back to its pre-Covid shape.

“Immigration is essential to getting us through the pandemic, but also to our short-term economic recovery and our long-term economic growth,” he said. “Canadians have seen how newcomers are playing an outsized role in our hospitals and care homes and helping us to keep food on the table.”

“As we look to recovery, newcomers create jobs not just by giving our businesses the skills they need to thrive, but also by starting businesses themselves,” he said. “Our plan will help to address some of our most acute labour shortages and to grow our population to keep Canada competitive on the world stage.”

The government of Canada promises to welcome over 1.2 million newcomers by 2023. Canada aims to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023.

Are you ready to start with us? Just fill our free assessment form or call us at 8595338595 and let our immigration experts help you make the move as smooth as possible.