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Is US-Canada border still closed for non-essential travel?

The land border between the US and Canada remains closed until October 21, 2020 for “non-essential” travel. The travel restrictions do not apply to travel by air, sea and to freight rail. The “essential travel” includes but is not limited to: (i) U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, (ii) international students, (iii) people traveling to receive medical treatment, (iv) emergency responders and public health officials, (v) truck drivers moving cargo or other individuals engaged in international trade, (vi) official government and diplomatic travel, and (vii) members of the U.S. armed forces and their spouses and children.

Most U.S. ports of entry interpret the restrictions that only B1/B2 travel is prohibited, while other ports of entry interpret the restrictions more narrowly and require proof of “essentiality”. The Customs and Border Protection is still performing routine adjudications of TN and L-1 petitions at the land ports of entry, although some land ports are requiring proof that the proposed employment is “essential”.

Canada’s Quarantine Act requires anyone who is permitted to enter Canada to self-isolate for 14 days following entry to Canada (unless they are flag-poling).

Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice.  We simplified the law to outline the law. If you to schedule a consultation, call our experienced immigration attorney at 480-425-2009 or schedule your consultation online.

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Treaty investor (E-2) visa for a restaurant owner from Canada

Our client came to our office seeking help with her E-2 visa. She was in the process of purchasing a full service restaurant in the Phoenix area for $150,000. The source of investment was the sale of her home in Canada. We documented well that the restaurant was real and doing business. The restaurant was well established and was operating in the Phoenix area for years. We had also sufficient documents to show that the investment was “substantial” and not marginal. The restaurant had more than 20 employees and healthy financials. We also submitted a business plan how to increase profit of the restaurant and create additional jobs.

We prepared the visa application and prepared our client for the interview. The interview went well and visas were approved for our client and her husband and a child. Congratulations!

Please note that this article does not constitute a legal advice.  We simplified the law in order to outline the treaty investor (E-2) visa process.  If you would like to discuss if you may qualify for investor (E-2) visa, call our experienced investor (E-2) visa attorney at 480-425-2009 or contact an experienced treaty investor (E-2) attorney via our website to schedule a consultation. We look forward to discussing how we can help you obtain your investor (E-2) visa.