Takeaways:
- The Biden Administration has designated November 8, 2021, as the official end of the COVID-19 Travel Restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign nationals.
- Noncitizens will be able to travel to the U.S. via land, sea, and air from November 8th onward.
- Follow-up information will be necessary as the specific requirements for testing and procedures for those who are not vaccinated is published.
Background:
Noncitizens seeking to travel to the U.S. from China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, or South Africa are generally barred from doing so because of travel restrictions which rise from presidential proclamations (“Travel Restrictions”). There has been a waiver mechanism in place, of varying degrees of utility, throughout the pandemic. However, the White House tweeted today that the underlying travel restrictions will be lifted on November 8, 2021.
There are a lot of details which need to be addressed in implementing this change and they will presumably be contained in formal policies rather than tweets but it is helpful to have a specific date, after which many foreign nationals will be able to enter the United States.
White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz Announced the End of the General Travel Restrictions for November 8, 2021:
Kevin Munozis a Biden Administration Assistant Press Secretary and he announced significant changes to the U.S. COVID-19 travel restrictions via tweet on October 15, 2021:
The US’ new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travelers to the United States will begin on Nov 8. This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent.
Conclusion:
This is a long-awaited and welcome policy change. Noncitizens who have been in China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, or South Africa within fourteen days of seeking to enter the U.S. have been largely unable to travel here for nearly two years. For those who have been vaccinated, travel, from November 8, 2021 on, may be somewhat closer to pre-Pandemic normal but, for those who have not been vaccinated, travel may become significantly more difficult.
Stay tuned for follow-ups as the Administration publishes policy through more official channels.
Green and Spiegel, An Immigration Law Firm with Six Decades of Experience:
Green and Spiegel has been successful in obtaining NIE Waivers for Noncitizens. We are monitoring this situation closely and will continue to update our blog and provide E-Alerts to advise on the latest developments. As always, we strongly encourage you to reach out to our office if you have any questions regarding if or how these changes impact you, your business, and your family. Our office number is (215)395-8959, we can be reached via web.
DISCLAIMER: Please note, nothing posted here is legal advice, nor does reading anything here or communicating with the writer on or through social media form an attorney/client relationship. Choosing an attorney is a serious matter and should not be based solely or primarily on advertising or any other public communication of an attorney or law firm.
