April 1, 2025 Moratorium on Providence Research Travel Policy to the U.S.A.

In line with Providence Health Care’s moratorium on travel to the U.S.A., Providence Research (PR) implemented, as of April 1st, 2025, a corresponding moratorium on travel to the U.S.A. This will apply to travel for work, education, and conferences.

This decision aligns with ongoing concerns regarding U.S.A. tariffs and following the provincial government’s direction to avoid all non-essential purchases from American suppliers. Providence Research requests that any booked travel, associated registrations and accommodations in the U.S.A be cancelled. Providence Research will review reimbursement requests for any personal costs related to cancellations on a case-by-case basis. At this time, given the moratorium, if Providence Research employees choose to travel to the U.S.A., they must do so at their own expense and on their own time. Reimbursement in these cases will not be considered.

Please note, if you are staff, student or faculty employed by the University of British Columbia or Simon Fraser University (or other academic institution) and have booked travel, accommodations and/or registrations for work related travel in the U.S.A, you must use funds held at your employing institution for these expenses. Funds held at PHC or PR must not be used to support travel or cost recovery of travel expenses.

Providence Research also acknowledges recent Canadian travel advisories indicating the right of U.S.A. border officials to search all electronics, including those provided by Providence Research.

The moratorium will be reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with government direction. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation during these challenging times.

If you have questions, as always, please contact me at dknight2@providencehealth.bc.ca.