Note: this advice reflects COVID-19-era travel rules and is historical — it does not apply to current travel to Canada.A new immigrant traveling to Toronto asked whether new PR holders could travel, whether mandatory hotel quarantine applied, and how to book it.
What the thread clarified at the time:- There's a distinction between already holding a physical PR card versus arriving as a new immigrant on a COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) — the question of exemptions depended on which category you fell into.
- COPR holders who received their confirmation after March 2020 were, at that time, not exempt from travel restrictions, meaning mandatory hotel quarantine applied and could not be avoided.
- The mandatory quarantine hotel booking had to be made at least 48 hours before the travel date — this was not something arranged on arrival by airport staff.
The practical (now historical) takeaway: during the COVID-19 period, new COPR holders had to pre-book mandatory hotel quarantine themselves well before departure, since it could not be avoided or arranged last-minute at the airport. Always check IRCC's current travel requirements, as these COVID-specific rules have since been lifted.