Kadri Law represents many of the world’s leading Companies doing business in Canada. First and foremost, our thoughts are with all of our clients and those immediately impacted by the outbreak of this global pandemic.
COVID-19 is presenting new challenges and uncertainties every day. Just as Kadri Law is preparing for all possible scenarios, we know your business is also making the same preparations too. We want you to know that our team at Kadri Law is committed and ready to support your business during the COVID-19 outbreak so as to continue to meet your Immigration and related business objectives in Canada during such unprecedented times.
Below is an example of the actions we are taking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Kadri Law has created a COVID-19 response team that meets daily to review the guidance of public health authorities and infectious disease experts and make determinations on how we may need to re-shape our understanding of important and prudent action that may need to be taken.
- We are formulating policy frameworks for domestic and international travelling, client meetings and events, as well as the development of operational solutions for the delivery of legal services to our clients during the COVID 19 pandemic.
- Kadri Law is preparing our firm to act in accordance with any new information and guidance from provincial, federal and international health authorities as the same becomes available, including actively monitoring the guidance from our governing Law Society of Ontario (LSO).
Canada has already implemented several measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its potential implications. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is focused on the ability to identify travellers who may be suspected of carrying the disease, or who have recently travelled to an affected area. CBSA Officers are actively screening passengers for possible signs of the COVID-19 virus. We continue to monitor these enhanced screening initiatives and any inbound travel restrictions placed on travellers from other countries. We are also monitoring the closure of Consulates, Embassies, and Visa Application Centres (VAC) abroad, and any Visa and Immigration processing centres located within Canada. The government of Canada has already contemplated the scaling down of operations at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the CBSA. Plans are developing for non-essential staff to work-from-home in response to COVID-19. This could affect the delivery of Immigration programs and services across a broad spectrum of Canadian Immigration matters.
You should advise any of your employee(s) who could possibly be identified as a potential carrier that the CBSA has broad powers to screen, detain, quarantine and arrest travellers who pose health risks to Canadians. The Canadian Foreign Affairs service has announced “If you develop symptoms of coronavirus before you are scheduled to leave, do not get on board any form of public transportation – seek medical attention. If your employee experiences symptoms of COVID-19 during a flight, tell them to report this to a flight attendant before landing or report them to a CBSA Officer as they seek to enter Canada. They will notify a quarantine officer who will assess their symptoms. If your employee does not have symptoms but believes they may have been exposed to a source of COVID-19, have them report this information to a CBSA Officer on arrival in Canada. This is required under the Quarantine Act.
If any of your employee(s) are feeling sick or have been exposed to someone with the virus, they should delay travel to Canada altogether at this time. They may have to self isolate, but in all cases advise them to seek immediate medical attention and guidance from a qualified health professional.
Finally, should the COVID-19 outbreak require any temporary office closures and/or remote work arrangements, we have operational continuity plans in place to continue the exceptional delivery of our client services. Our team at Kadri Law will continue to work hard to provide you with ongoing legal services during these difficult times and when appropriate we will be in touch with updates vital to our representation of your interests.
As always, we encourage you to be vigilant and take every precaution to ensure your health and safety, not only for your family and loved ones, but your colleagues, employees, co-workers, and your communities in general. We encourage everyone to practice smart social distancing, good hygiene, and carefully monitor your health at all times.
If you have any questions, please email us at mailto:[email protected] or contact our office directly at (519) 258-8188.
KADRI LAW
For more information on maintaining a Coronavirus safe workplace, please refer to this guide from the World Health Organization
