Canada includes tutors in the list of “Exempt from Travel Restriction”

Tutor

Canada has imposed the travel restriction since March when the pandemic started spreading in different parts of the world. Although Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released guidelines where certain categories like Permanent Residents, Citizens, and Immediate Family members of such individuals were exempted from the travel restrictions and they were allowed to travel to Canada if they justify their reason along with the documented proof. Canada has extended the deadline for the travel restrictions more than once since May. Recently, Canada has included the “tutor” in the exempted category from the travel restriction.


The Meaning of Tutor

The meaning of tutor is taken as the one who teaches or provides the lessons to someone. On the broader spectrum here, the tutor is referred to the person who takes care of a minor student (foreign national) who is living apart from a parent(s) for an extended period of time to pursue education, like, attend secondary or high school in Canada. Canada has listed tutor in immediate family members and includes with group “guardian”.

In simple words, a tutor is a person who takes care of minor student during his/her education in Canada while the student resides away from a parent(s).


Why tutor is exempted from travel restriction

The tutor and guardian serve the same function but different jurisdiction has their varied definition. A tutor or a guardian does not take over all the parents responsibilities like adoptive parents, but they have the authority to make decisions for the minors on behalf of them in the absence of the parents. IRCC stated that there are a number of minor students living with guardians or tutors while they pursue studies instead of their parents.

IRCC does not want a situation where the tutors are separated from their national wards during the education and minor students should not suffer at all, especially in the time of the pandemic.

One of the reasons to include tutor under the list of an immediate family member was the government does not want the minors to be stranded or alone in Canada because the people housing them in Canada could not meet the requirement or definition of an immediate family member of Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation. This change will ease things for many of the minors who are willing to travel to Canada to pursue their education.

In order to come to Canada, tutor/guardian must prove that they live at the same address as the minor lives in Canada, while live-in nannies are not considered as a guardian or a tutor.

Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) provided the requirement of documents to prove the status as a guardian or tutor:

  1. Documents that indicate the relationship to the child;
  2. Documents that indicate legal responsibility for the child and authority to make decisions in the absence of their parents;
  3. Documents showing power of attorney; or
  4. A judicial court order or affidavit.

It is a guardian or tutor’s responsibility to present the documents and prove that they meet the requirements for entry in Canada in front of border service officer. Travellers are required to have the documents that demonstrate the reason for travel and length of stay. In addition to that, travellers are supposed to bring the documents that prove how they meet the requirement of exemptions. The final decision is made by CBSA at the time of processing which is based on case-to-case and the available information.

 

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