The US to lift curbs from November 8 for vaccinated foreign travelers: White House
3 min read
The White House on Friday declared it will lift travel restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign travellers effective 8th November 2021, at land borders, and for air travel.
Curbs on non-essential travelers at land borders have been in place since March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuters first reported the declaration before on Friday.
Restrictions on non-U.S. citizens were first imposed on air travelers from China in January 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and then extended to many different nations, without any clear metrics for how and when to lift them.
The United States had slacked numerous different nations in lifting such restrictions, and allies invited the move. The U.S. restrictions have barred travelers from most of the world, including a huge number of foreign nationals with family members or business links in the United States.
The White House on Tuesday stated it would lift restrictions at its land borders and ferry crossings with Canada and Mexico for fully vaccinated foreign nationals in early November. They are similar yet not identical to requirements declared last month for international air travelers.
Unvaccinated visitors will still be barred from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders.
Canada on Aug. 9 started allowing fully vaccinated U.S. visitors for unimportant travel.
The US to lift curbs from 8th November 2021 for vaccinated foreign travellers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Reuters last week the United States will accept the use by international visitors of COVID-19 vaccines authorized by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization.
There are still some remaining questions to be resolved. Including how and what exceptions the Biden government will give to the vaccine requirements.
The White House declared on 20th Sept 2021 that the United States would lift restrictions on air travelers from 33 nations in early November. It didn’t disclose the exact date at the time.
Beginning Nov. 8, the United States will admit fully vaccinated foreign air travelers from the 26 so-called Schengen nations in Europe. Including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil. The uncommon U.S. restrictions have banned non-U.S. residents who were in those nations within the past 14 days.
[November 2021 Visa Bulletin Predictions]
The United States has allowed foreign air travelers from more than 150 nations all through the pandemic. A policy that critics said made little sense because some countries with high COVID-19 rates were not on the restricted list. While some on the list had the pandemic more under control.
The White House said last month it would apply vaccine requirements to foreign nationals traveling from all other countries.
Non-U.S. air travelers should show evidence of vaccination. Before boarding a flight and will need to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Foreign visitors crossing a land border won’t have to show proof of a new negative COVID-19 test.
The CDC plans to soon issue new rules on contact tracing for international air travelers.
