In a rare use of the federal Quarantine Act, Ottawa announced on May 26 2026 that anyone who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan or Uganda within the previous 21 days must complete a 21-day self-isolation on arrival in Canada. Travellers who lack a suitable place to quarantine will be transferred to government-arranged accommodation.
![Canada Imposes 21-Day Quarantine and Pauses Immigration Documents for Ebola-Affected Countries]()
If you or your employees are scrambling to understand these sudden changes, VisaHQ can help. The company’s Canada-specific platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time updates, individual case reviews and end-to-end application support, making it easier to navigate temporary suspensions, quarantine requirements and any future adjustments to Canada’s entry rules.
Symptomatic travellers will be taken directly to hospital for assessment. The Public Health Agency of Canada is also suspending the validity of approved temporary resident visas, eTAs and permanent-resident visas issued to residents of the three countries for an initial 90-day period that begins at 23:59 EDT on May 27. During that pause, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not render new decisions on immigration or visitor applications originating from those jurisdictions. The measures respond to a fast-moving outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in north-eastern Congo that has already recorded more than 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Canadian officials said the “abundance-of-caution” approach is intended to keep the virus out of the country in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. For employers and global mobility managers, the suspension means transferees and new hires based in the affected countries will be unable to travel—even if their work permits or permanent-resident visas were previously approved—until the freeze is lifted. Companies are being urged to review assignee pipelines and consider alternative start dates or remote-work arrangements. Travellers already in Canada are not affected and may remain for their authorized period of stay.
If you or your employees are scrambling to understand these sudden changes, VisaHQ can help. The company’s Canada-specific platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers real-time updates, individual case reviews and end-to-end application support, making it easier to navigate temporary suspensions, quarantine requirements and any future adjustments to Canada’s entry rules.
Symptomatic travellers will be taken directly to hospital for assessment. The Public Health Agency of Canada is also suspending the validity of approved temporary resident visas, eTAs and permanent-resident visas issued to residents of the three countries for an initial 90-day period that begins at 23:59 EDT on May 27. During that pause, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will not render new decisions on immigration or visitor applications originating from those jurisdictions. The measures respond to a fast-moving outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in north-eastern Congo that has already recorded more than 900 suspected cases and 220 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Canadian officials said the “abundance-of-caution” approach is intended to keep the virus out of the country in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. For employers and global mobility managers, the suspension means transferees and new hires based in the affected countries will be unable to travel—even if their work permits or permanent-resident visas were previously approved—until the freeze is lifted. Companies are being urged to review assignee pipelines and consider alternative start dates or remote-work arrangements. Travellers already in Canada are not affected and may remain for their authorized period of stay.
