Most people are aware of the political situation in the United States right now, with the Trump travel ban causing protests at airports throughout the country. If you’re not up to speed, Donald Trump has banned all entry to the United States for those who have a nationality or dual nationality with Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq.
But what does the Trump travel ban mean for the tens of thousands of Canadians that have dual citizenship and are planning to travel to the United States on business, for a vacation, or as part of a transit for further travel?
The Trudeau government has been assured that those holding Canadian passports with dual citizenship won’t be turned away, and will instead go through the normal process upon entry to the United States.
Earlier the U.S State Department had said that these citizens would be denied entry, and it now appears that it has flip-flopped, allowing Canadian dual-citizens to enter as usual.
Trudeau tweeted about the travel ban on Saturday, saying:
To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.
His office later said that Trudeau is looking forward to speaking with Trump about the success of the immigration and refugee policies in Canada.
Air Canada and WestJet have said that cancellation fees will be waived for those holding passports from the countries affected by the ban.
Even if people have surrendered their citizenship from one of the banned countries, they will still be judged by their birthplace which is written on their Canadian passport.
In response, the Canadian government has said it will be offering temporary residency permits to the travellers who have become stranded in the country after Trump’s order.
The 2011 National Household Survey (the latest available) showed that in 2011 there were 25,000 Canadians who were dual citizens with the countries that are currently banned.
There were also 74,550 people in Canada at the time who were from those countries and did not have citizenship in Canada.
Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
For now, it appears that dual citizens can come and go as usual, and Canadians that have dual citizenship with these seven countries are encouraged not to panic, and to travel as normal.
For those who do not have Canadian citizenship and are from Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, or Libya, they will not be able to travel to the United States within the next 90 days.
Initially, green card holders from the seven countries banned were also unable to return, and it appears that the administration has now backtracked, allowing these people to re-enter the U.S.
Passengers at airports around the world are expected to be prevented from boarding flights to the United States, and Trump has said that the executive order is about preventing “radical Islamic terrorists” from entering the country.
If you have any concerns about travelling to the United States, call the Canadian embassy on 613-996-8885.
