Canada · IRCC temporary Ebola measures
Canada extends Ebola-related immigration suspensions through September 28
IRCC has extended Ebola-related immigration-document suspensions through September 28, 2026. The measure affects people who listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda as their last country of residence in an immigration application.
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Reported and checked by the QueueCheck news desk. Last checked August 28, 2026. How we verify information
Canada immigration applications and travel documents (IRCC): the answer before you make plans
On August 28, 2026, IRCC extended its Ebola-related temporary measures until 23:59:59 Eastern Time on September 28, 2026. The residence-based rule affects foreign nationals who listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda as their last country of residence in their immigration application. Their specified immigration documents remain temporarily suspended, they cannot travel to Canada using them, and IRCC says it will continue processing new and existing applications but will not finalize affected applications while the measures are in force. This is not the same rule as the separate restriction on foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the previous 21 days.
Visa applicants affected by this Canada update
Foreign nationals whose immigration application listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda as their last country of residence, their Canadian family members and employers, and people with a passport-request letter or a previously approved Canadian immigration document.
The Canada visa update behind this page
- IRCC's temporary measures now end at 23:59:59 ET on September 28, 2026. The page was updated August 28, and the Public Health Agency of Canada describes the extension as another 30 days.
- The residence-based document suspension applies to foreign nationals who listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda as the last country of residence in their immigration application. It is based on residence in the application, not citizenship alone.
- IRCC says it will keep processing affected new and existing applications, but it will not finalize them while the measures remain in place.
- Suspended documents cannot be used to board a plane or travel to Canada, even if the person previously received an approved visa, permit or electronic travel authorization.
- IRCC lists temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorizations, temporary resident permit counterfoils and permanent resident visas among the immigration documents that can be suspended.
- A distinct rule remains in place for foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous 21 days. They cannot travel to Canada, even if they are not otherwise covered by the residence-based document suspension.
IRCC: Ebola disease temporary measures details that affect applicants
IRCC says the measures were in place from 23:59:59 ET on May 27, 2026 and will now end at 23:59:59 ET on September 28, 2026 unless changed earlier.
The three countries named in the current residence-based rule are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.
IRCC states that an affected person's immigration documents are temporarily suspended and that it will email people whose documents are suspended.
IRCC says that once the measures end or are repealed, valid suspended documents will automatically reactivate and IRCC will begin making final decisions again. No separate reactivation request is required for a document that is still valid.
The Public Health Agency of Canada's August 28 statement separately confirms that immigration documents remain suspended for residents of the three named countries and that applications will not be finalized while the measures continue.
IRCC Ebola immigration measures, current end date
IRCC and Public Health Agency of Canada pages checked August 28, 2026
Canada extended the relevant temporary measures for another 30 days on August 28. The article separates the residence-based document suspension from the recent-DRC-travel rule because the official tests are different.
Current scheduled end
Sept. 28, 2026, 23:59:59 ET
The current time and date on the IRCC temporary-measures page.
Affected residence fields
DRC, South Sudan, Uganda
Last country of residence listed in the immigration application.
DRC recent-travel rule
Previous 21 days
A separate restriction for foreign nationals who have been in the DRC.
Application handling
Processing continues
IRCC says affected applications will not be finalized while the measures are in place.
| Official rule | Who it uses | Current effect |
|---|---|---|
| Residence-based document suspension | Foreign nationals whose application lists DRC, South Sudan or Uganda as last country of residence | Specified immigration documents suspended; application processing can continue but no finalization or travel on the suspended document |
| Recent-DRC-travel restriction | Foreign nationals who have been in the DRC within the previous 21 days | Cannot travel to Canada |
| Person already in Canada | People who were in Canada when the measures took effect | Status is not affected for the authorized period of stay |
The route details people often miss
- The measures were extended on August 28, 2026 through September 28, 2026.
- Citizenship is not the test for the residence-based document suspension.
- A valid suspended document automatically reactivates when the measures end or are repealed.
Official visa material summarized
- IRCC: Ebola disease temporary measures
- Public Health Agency of Canada: August 28, 2026 extension statement
Check route, residence, and stage before comparing
- A suspension does not extend a document's expiry date.
- IRCC tells affected passport-request recipients not to submit their passport to a VAC while the measures are in force.
- The official source controls in the event of any later update.
Canada immigration applications and travel documents (IRCC) questions, answered
My visa or eTA was already approved. Can I travel to Canada now?
Not if IRCC has suspended the document under these measures. IRCC says a suspended document is temporarily not valid and cannot be used to board a plane or travel to Canada. Check the notice associated with your application and the current official page before travelling.
Does this apply because I am a citizen of the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda?
Not by citizenship alone. The residence-based measure uses the last country of residence listed in the immigration application. IRCC says a citizen of an affected country who was living outside those countries when applying is not affected by that rule solely because of citizenship.
Will IRCC stop processing my application?
IRCC says it will continue processing new and existing affected applications, but it will not finalize them while the measures remain in place.
I received a passport request. Should I send my passport to the VAC?
No, if you are affected by these measures. IRCC says a VAC cannot process the passport submission, will return the passport and additional fees may apply. Wait until the measures have ended or obtain an official case-by-case exemption.
What happens on September 28?
The current stated end is 23:59:59 ET on September 28, 2026. IRCC says that once the measures end or are repealed, valid suspended documents will automatically reactivate and it will begin making final decisions again. The Government can change the measures before then, so check the live official page.
What this Canada update changes for Canada immigration applications and travel documents (IRCC)
The extension prevents an automatic resumption of final decisions and travel for people covered by the residence-based suspension. A pending application can continue moving internally without reaching a final decision before the measures end or are repealed.
A person with a previously approved document can still be unable to travel because IRCC treats the document as temporarily not valid while it is suspended.
The document suspension does not extend its expiry date. If the document expires before the measures end, IRCC says the person must apply for another document for future travel.
People who were already in Canada when the measures took effect can remain for the period they were authorized to stay. Their status in Canada is not changed by these measures.
The DRC 21-day travel restriction and the residence-based document suspension use different tests. Recent travel can matter even for someone who did not list an affected country as their last country of residence, while citizenship alone does not decide the residence-based rule.
Canada immigration applications and travel documents (IRCC) checks before changing your plans
- Check the official IRCC temporary-measures page against the country of residence stated in your actual immigration application. Do not decide the issue from nationality alone.
- If you are affected and receive a passport-request letter, do not send your passport to a visa application centre until the measures have ended. IRCC says a VAC cannot process the submission, will return the passport and additional fees may apply.
- Watch the email address associated with the application. IRCC says it notifies people by email if their document is suspended, and an address change should be reported to IRCC.
- If there is an urgent reason to travel or finalize the case, request a case-by-case exemption through IRCC's crisis web form. IRCC asks for an explanation, supporting evidence and information showing that the person is not a public-health risk.
- If you are outside the affected countries and believe the rule was applied incorrectly, use the same official exemption route with evidence of your location and circumstances.
- Before booking travel, recheck the official page for both the residence-based suspension and the separate DRC 21-day restriction. These temporary measures can change with little notice.
Read IRCC: Ebola disease temporary measures by route, stage, and source date
This is an extension of a temporary public-health measure, not a general halt to every Canadian immigration route.
The rule is written around the last country of residence listed in an immigration application. A citizen of one of the three countries who lived elsewhere when applying is not affected by that residence-based rule solely because of citizenship, according to IRCC.
The recent-travel rule is narrower geographically but works differently: foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the previous 21 days cannot travel to Canada. Recent presence in South Sudan or Uganda is not described the same way on the current IRCC page.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have been in an affected area can return to Canada, but IRCC says they will have a medical screening and must follow public-health measures.
What this Canada immigration applications and travel documents (IRCC) update cannot decide
- This article is a summary of the current published IRCC and Government of Canada information. It is not legal or medical advice and cannot determine whether a particular person is covered.
- The official page, the individual document notice and any later emergency order control. They can change before the September 28 date.
- An exemption is assessed case by case. Describing the official route does not mean an exemption will be granted.
- This article does not replace travel, health or immigration advice for a person with urgent travel, an expiring document or an individual public-health concern.
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Official citation
Published August 28, 2026. Original source: IRCC: Ebola disease temporary measures.