Late on 27 May 2026, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) jointly activated emergency powers under Bill C-12—passed in March—to curb the risk of Ebola Virus Disease entering the country. Effective 23:59 ET on 27 May, the government suspended the issuance and final decision of all visas, permits and electronic travel authorisations for residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan. Travellers who have been in those countries within the previous 21 days must undertake government-monitored self-isolation on arrival. The 90-day suspension, scheduled to run until 25 August 2026, is the first use of Bill C-12’s mass-document-suspension clause. PHAC officials stated that over 900 suspected Ebola cases have been recorded in northeastern DRC, with cross-border movement complicating containment. While Canada has no direct flights from the affected region, secondary travel through hubs in Europe and the Gulf poses screening challenges. For Canadian employers, the measures could delay deployment of specialised contractors, mining staff and NGO personnel originating from Central and East Africa.
![Canada invokes new powers to suspend immigration documents from Ebola-affected nations]()
To help employers and travellers make sense of these abrupt changes, VisaHQ offers real-time updates on Canadian visa policies, personalised support in adjusting travel documentation and streamlined applications for extensions or alternative permits. Its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) aggregates IRCC advisories and can reduce administrative delays while the 90-day suspension is in place.
Multinationals with rotation workers should develop contingency plans, including remote work or temporary reassignment to third-country hubs. Recruiting agencies are advising clients to review mobilisation timelines and consider extending existing Canadian work permits where feasible. The suspension also pauses permanent residence finalisations for family-class and economic applicants who ordinarily reside in the three countries. IRCC has said applications will automatically resume processing once the order expires, but medical and security checks older than 12 months may need to be repeated, adding cost and complexity. Airports have re-implemented quarantine-act signage reminiscent of the COVID-19 era, and CBSA officers have been briefed to issue isolation orders under the Quarantine Act. Travellers lacking a suitable private residence will be directed to designated federal facilities. Compliance will be monitored through daily tele-health check-ins and spot visits.
To help employers and travellers make sense of these abrupt changes, VisaHQ offers real-time updates on Canadian visa policies, personalised support in adjusting travel documentation and streamlined applications for extensions or alternative permits. Its dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) aggregates IRCC advisories and can reduce administrative delays while the 90-day suspension is in place.
Multinationals with rotation workers should develop contingency plans, including remote work or temporary reassignment to third-country hubs. Recruiting agencies are advising clients to review mobilisation timelines and consider extending existing Canadian work permits where feasible. The suspension also pauses permanent residence finalisations for family-class and economic applicants who ordinarily reside in the three countries. IRCC has said applications will automatically resume processing once the order expires, but medical and security checks older than 12 months may need to be repeated, adding cost and complexity. Airports have re-implemented quarantine-act signage reminiscent of the COVID-19 era, and CBSA officers have been briefed to issue isolation orders under the Quarantine Act. Travellers lacking a suitable private residence will be directed to designated federal facilities. Compliance will be monitored through daily tele-health check-ins and spot visits.
