Government Relations Report Ron Steeves First Vice-President At the time of writing this column, we are nearing the latest deadline, December 21, 2020, which the Canadian and American governments set for the continued closure of the land border to all non-essential travel. Based on discussions between CSA representatives and government officials and agencies in both countries, the closure, which has been in place since March 21, will be extended well into next year. Currently, the only way by which Canadian citizens are permitted to travel to the United States − for non-essential reasons − is by air. As many members have been inquiring, the reason that this loophole exists is that the U.S. Government only applied the border restrictions to land and sea ports of entry. Canadians who choose to travel during the pandemic need to ensure that their travel medical insurance policy provides sufficient coverage for COVID-19. They will also need to be mindful of the most up-to-date CDC, state and local quarantine requirements for international travellers, as this information is subject to change. Starting on November 21, all travellers, including Canadian citizens, will be required to provide contact and quarantine information upon and after entry into Canada. Travellers will submit the necessary information by either downloading the ArriveCAN app onto their mobile device or by signing in online by visitinghttps://arrivecan.cbsa-asfc. cloud-nuage.canada.ca. Travellers entering Canada will be required to use ArriveCAN in order to submit their travel and contact information, quarantine plan and COVID-19 symptom self-assessments. Travellers will submit their information prior to boarding their flight to Canada and will be required to show their ArriveCAN receipt to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer upon arrival. Travellers arriving by land or sea are strongly encouraged to submit their travel information through ArriveCAN, as this will speed up processing at the border and limit points of contact. As of November 21, all travellers, whether by air, land or sea, must provide information after their entry into Canada. Travellers must use ArriveCAN or call 1-833-641-0343 to confirm that they have arrived at the address provided for their quarantine or isolation location within 48 hours of their entry into Canada, and must complete daily COVID19 symptom self-assessments during their quarantine period. The Canadian Government has implemented these new measures in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and assist travellers in reducing their processing time and points of contact at the border. On November 3, and the days that followed, most Canadians were watching coverage of the U.S. presidential election. Snowbirds, many of whom own vacation properties stateside, were following the results particularly closely. While legal challenges have been filed by the Trump campaign inmultiple swing states, former Vice-President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris are projected to become the next president and vice-president of the United States, respectively. While the Democrats will keep their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, albeit with a slimmer margin, the party which gains control of the U.S. Senate will now come down to two run-off elections in the state of Georgia scheduled for early January. While it is still too early to determine whether or not there will be a split Congress for the next two years, regardless of the outcome, CSA representatives will ensure that our Canadian retiree visa proposal − which would allow retired Canadians to spend eight months in the U.S. annually − is reintroduced in the next session of Congress. The original sponsor of the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik [R-NY-21], handily won her bid for re-election with more than 64 per cent of the vote. We will work with Congresswoman Stefanik and her staff to reintroduce this legislation next year. In addition, one of President-elect Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities during his first term is comprehensive immigration reform. This will be another avenue which we can utilize in order to pass our Canadian retiree visa initiative into law. CSA representatives will work with senators andmembers of Congress on both sides of the aisle to have a Canadian retiree visa provision included in any comprehensive immigration reform package, as we did in 2013. The association will continue to keep members informed of our government relations activities via e-mail throughout the current snowbird season. Whether you are travelling or spending the winter in Canada, on behalf of Judy and I, please stay safe. CSANews | WINTER 2020 | 13
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