Entering Canada as an Extended Family Member (IMM 0006 Form)

For couples from different countries, COVID-19 has offered a unique set of challenges. After the initial closure of the Canada/USA border, I (American) was legally barred from entering Canada for over 8 months. Thankfully, the Canadian government recently offered the opportunity for foreign nationals to enter Canada under written approval by the Canadian government. By using the IMM 0006 form for extended family members, I was able travel to Canada to spend Christmas with Anna and her family.

We submitted our IMM 0006 form via email in October, and after a painstaking and nervous month of waiting, we were finally approved in late November. I am currently writing this from Calgary, Alberta, where Anna and I are quarantining together, and we couldn’t be happier to be here.

For other couples like us, here is how we did it:

Filling out the IMM 0006 form:

You can download the IMM 0006 form here. Since Anna was visiting me in the United States at the time we applied, we were able to fill out the form together. Tip: Even though the land border is closed, Canadians can still enter the United States via plane by using a standard tourist visa.

After downloading the IMM 0006 form, we used Adobe Reader to fill it out electronically, each signing virtually as well. Due to COVID restrictions, we also had the form electronically notarized. Anna chose a notary company online and was able to setup a virtual notary appointment.

Submitting the form via email:

We did this step twice. The first time we submitted (Oct. 27), there was no requirement for Anna to include proof of her Canadian citizenship. We simply attached the IMM 0006 form and included all of the other details they needed in the body of the email. After waiting for the specified 14 business days, we still had no response, so we elected to resubmit on Nov. 10.  This time, we attached a photo of Anna’s passport, a photo of my passport, our completed IMM 0006 form and a photo of us together at the Calgary Stampede in 2019. We thought the photo would be good luck.

After another two weeks of nervously waiting, Anna decided to contact her Member of Parliament via email. We saw on Reddit that Members of Parliament could check on the application status for us, so we figured it was worth a shot. After sending an email explaining our situation, Anna received a response within an hour. They asked for a few details on our application, and told us they would look into it. We aren’t sure how much of a difference this made, but the next morning (Nov. 25), we received approval! It very well could have been Anna’s Member of Parliament reaching out on our behalf.

Note: The approval email came in response to the second email we submitted, which included our photos of our passports in addition to the IMM 0006 form.

Entering Canada:

We elected to enter Canada by car. We had to bring a lot of winter gear with us, so flying really wasn’t an option. At the border in Sweetgrass-Coutts, we arrived as the only passenger vehicle at the time. At the window, they asked us for our passports and the written authorization email we had received, as well as the notarized IMM 0006 form. We answered an array of questions and then the border agent directed me to come inside for further verification of the forms. She asked Anna to remain in the car. Once inside, they further questioned me on how Anna and I met and where we had lived together previously. We had prepared a full folder with proof of our relationship, but I didn’t end up needing it. After about 5 minutes of questioning, they let me through!

Once through the border, we were directed to a trailer to receive COVID-19 testing. They gave us each a throat swab and told us we would receive our results in 2-3 days. We were then free to proceed to Calgary, where we will be spending our required quarantine.

We also elected to participate in Alberta International Border Pilot Testing Program. Check it out here.