As of May 12, 2023, international air travelers will no longer be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the US by air. The Biden Administration will also end the vaccine requirements for Federal employees and Federal contractors, on the same day which coincides with the end of the public health emergency. The vaccine requirements have been in place since November 2021 when the US government lifted the travel bans instituted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to help ease the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Biden Administration is ending the international air travel COVID vaccine requirement “at the end of the day” on May 11, 2023.
Read moreProof of COVID-19 Vaccination Required for All Foreign Travelers at US Land Borders
Effective January 22, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) will require non-US citizens traveling across the land border for both essential and non-essential reasons to be fully vaccinated. The recent announcement confirms, “[t]hese new restrictions will apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for both essential and non-essential reasons. They will not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.”
All foreign national travelers, whether traveling for non-essential or essential reasons, must attest to their vaccination status and to present proof of vaccination to CBP officers upon request. To be considered fully vaccinated, fourteen days must have passed since the traveler’s final shot of their vaccine. CBP follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (“CDC”) protocols regarding acceptable “proof of vaccination, including which vaccines are permissible.”
Pre-arrival COVID-19 testing is not required for entry via a land port of entry or ferry terminal.
COVID-19 Testing Requirements for International Travel
In response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has amended its testing requirements for air passengers traveling to the US from international destinations. The vaccination requirements remain in place with the only change being when a person must be tested before they arrive in the US by plane.
Beginning December 6, 2021, all inbound international airline passengers, including US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents, ages two and older will be required to submit a negative COVID test taken within one day of travel to the United States, in order to board their flight.
Read moreAs the US Opens for International Travel, Some Remain in Limbo
As previously reported, international travel to the United States was reopened for vaccinated visitors on Monday, November 8, 2021, as a result of President Biden’s Presidential Proclamation. Previously, tourists and visitors who were physically present in the United Kingdom, Ireland, countries in the European Schengen Area, Brazil, China, India, Iran, and South Africa during the fourteen-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into US were subject to travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions, which barred entry for most non-US nationals have been officially lifted, for those who are fully vaccinated. Travel remains restricted for people who were vaccinated with non-WHO-approved vaccines, such as the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, and the Chinese CanSino vaccine.
Read moreThe White House Announces New Travel Policies Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions for Vaccinated Travelers
On October 25, 2021, President Joseph Biden issued a presidential proclamation detailing his previously announced plan to replace the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, which were issued on a country-by-country basis, with a globally consistent policy centered around vaccination and testing requirements. The new international air travel policy will be put into effect for any flights departing on or after 12:01 AM EST on Monday, November 8, 2021.
Read moreUS To Lift Travel Restrictions for Vaccinated Foreign Travelers on November 8, 2021
The White House Assistant Press Secretary Kevin Munoz announced via Twitter on October 15, 2021 that the international travel bans currently in effect will be lifted on November 8, 2021. The announcement was a much anticipated follow up to the White House’s previous statement that the US would soon be lifting COVID-19 travel bans for all vaccinated travelers.
Read moreWhite House Announces U.S. to Lift COVID-19 Travel Bans on Vaccinated Travelers
In a highly-anticipated and welcomed statement, Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, announced that the United States (U.S.) will be easing the COVID-19 travel restrictions in place barring entry for most non-US nationals who were physically present in Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, countries in the European Schengen Area, South Africa, India, and the United Kingdom during the fourteen-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the Unites States.
Read moreUSCIS Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Immigration Medical Examinations
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective October 1, 2021, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for immigration medical examinations which are a part of the green card application process. The Service has updated its policy guidelines to require that “applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.”
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