U.S. and Canada to Close Border to Non-Essential Traffic

The issue

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that the United States-Canada border will close to non-essential traffic by agreement between the two countries in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Border closing implementation details not yet known

As of this evening, details on implementation of the agreement had not been released publicly. The agreement is expected to permit essential traffic between the countries. It is not yet known what types of activity will be deemed essential; reports indicate that the two governments are still making this determination. It is also not yet known whether the agreement will contain exceptions similar to the recent U.S. travel restrictions imposed on travelers from Europe, Iran, and China.  These restrictions exempted U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, their spouses and children under 21, and certain other family members, among others.

What’s next

Details of the border closure are still being finalized by the two governments and implementation is expected in the coming days, if not earlier.

Fragomen is closely monitoring the announced border closing and will issue follow-up alerts as developments occur. For the latest information related to the coronavirus’ impact on immigration-related matters worldwide, please visit Fragomen’s Coronavirus Update Page. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.