Regionally Based U.S. COVID Travel Ban To Be Cancelled

On September 20, the President announced that beginning in early November, the United States will be putting in place strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying internationally into the United States, by requiring that adult foreign nationals traveling to the United States be fully vaccinated. The U.S. will no longer be implementing the current 212(f) travel policies, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL INTEREST WAIVERS FROM THE TRAVEL BAN, for individual countries as of early November, and will implement new, stringent requirements for all international air travelers coming to the United States.

These new requirements include the following:

• Starting in early November, FOREIGN NATIONALS traveling to the U.S. will be required to be FULLY VACCINATED and to show proof of vaccination prior to boarding an airplane.

• The current requirement for everyone to show proof of a negative test taken within 3 days of boarding a flight will remain in place for all fully vaccinated travelers.

• Regarding air travel by Americans who are not fully vaccinated, all unvaccinated travelers who return to the United States and are not fully vaccinated will be required to, prior to boarding an airplane:

  • Provide proof of a negative test result taken within one day of their departure;

  • Provide proof that they have purchased a viral test to be taken after arrival.

• CDC will also issue a Contact Tracing Order that will require airlines to collect comprehensive contact information for every passenger coming to the United States and to provide that information promptly to CDC upon request, to follow up with travelers who have been exposed to COVID-19 variants or other pathogens.

• These requirements will apply globally.

This policy means that the U.S. will no longer be implementing the current 212(f) travel policies which required National Interest Exemptions from the travel bans for individual countries as of early November, and will be moving to a consistent, stringent requirement for all international air travelers coming to the United States.

*Steven M. Ladik is past President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and represents numerous professional golfers on the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR. He also serves as the outside Immigration Counsel to the National Football League. He is a Partner at the Ladik Law Firm, PLLC. www.realclearcounsel.com