The U.S. government took increasing measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country and protect the U.S. labor market. It imposed a ban on entry to the United States starting January 31, 2020, and ending November 7, 2021.
The U.S. has relaxed entry requirements since November 8, 2021, and travel for many countries is now possible again, subject to compliance with several COVID-19 guidelines and sanitary guidelines.
Learn more about visa holders, applicants, and travelers to the United States.
Who might re-enter America?
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the “Proclamation on Promoting the Safe Resumption Of Global Travel During a COVID-19 Pandemic” on Monday, October 25, 2021. It replaces the Corona Travel Ban and provides uniform rules for U.S. travelers worldwide starting November 8, 2021, with this Presidential Proclamation 102494.
Three regulations were issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (CDC), by the Presidential Proclamation.
- Global Contact Tracing Order
- Global Testing Order Amended
- Vaccination Order
- Travel regulations to the U.S.
Travel to the U.S.A. is now only allowed for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with very few exceptions.
International travelers with valid COVID-19 records will be eligible for travel relief, regardless of whether they apply for a visa to the United States or the Visa Waiver Program with ESTA authorization.
This allows for tourist travel, family travel, transit travel, and so on. With a visa or ESTA issued by the former Travel Ban countries (Brazil. China. India. Iran. Ireland. Schengen Area. And The United Kingdom), it is possible to travel once more – provided you have received corona vaccinations and a negative result from your test.
The U.S. embassies have resumed issuing visas to all categories of U.S. visas, depending on their capacity.
Tip: Anyone who wants to travel visa-free to the U.S. with ESTA should verify before departing that their ESTA travel authorization remains valid. Some ESTA authorizations have been revoked because of the travel ban.
Land entry regulations
For foreigners fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it is now possible to travel by land from Mexico or Canada starting November 8, 2021. tourist entries). The only exceptions are children below 18 years old, U.S citizens, and Green Card holders.
At the border, the official vaccination status must be confirmed according to CDC standards.
Foreign nationals may still enter the U.S. via land during a transition period until January 2022, even if they have not been vaccinated. This provision will be removed beginning January 22, 2022. This means that all foreigners who travel via land to the United States will be able to enter the country – regardless of their reason – without restriction.
Who is allowed to enter the USA now?
COVID-19 non-vaccinated international travelers or those who have not received complete vaccination are no longer allowed to enter the United States.
If a negative Corona test result or certificate of recovery is not provided, then entry to the United States will be denied.
What corona vaccines are eligible for entry to the U.S.
Full COVID-19 vaccination status
First, all individuals are fully vaccinated
- Two weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series of vaccines
- Two weeks after a single dose vaccination
You can enter as soon as the last dose is completed.
Approved Corona vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that only vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or those on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use List (EUL) are acceptable. These include:
- Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
- Moderna (Spikevax)
- Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
- AstraZeneca/Oxford – Vaxzevria & SII/Covishield
- Sinopharm (BBIBP -CorV).
- Sinovac (CoronaVac).
- Covaxin
- Novavax/Covovax
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that individuals with “mix-and-match” vaccine combinations are considered fully vaccinated after two weeks if they have been given a vaccine approved either by WHO or FDA (e.g., AstraZeneca / BioNTech). The second dose was administered not earlier than 17 days following the first dose.
Evidence of complete COVID-19 vaccine
Before departure, proof of COVID-19 vaccine must be presented at check-in or via the airline app. The airlines are responsible for verifying the vaccination documentation.
The CDC lists precisely what documents are accepted as proof of vaccination (= Verifiable Vaccination Credential).
A digital vaccination certificate with a QR code should be used to provide proof. European COVID-19 vaccination certificate). Other paper documents, such as an official certificate or card (e.g., yellow vaccination certificate, CDC vaccination certificate, etc.) You can also use it as proof.
An authorized source/author must issue proof of vaccination (digital and paper). It must include the name, date of birth, vaccine product, and date of administration for any doses received.
Recommendation – We recommend contacting the airline to confirm which proofs will be accepted for a particular case. We recommend that you get the airline provider or airline before you travel if your vaccination documents are not in English.
According to current information, the airlines are responsible for checking vaccination certificates. Therefore, visa applications do not require vaccination certificates. Routine checks may be conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. frontier. For border control, it is a good idea to have proof.
Exemptions from mandatory vaccination
The new regulations list a limited number of people who are allowed to travel to the United States with no COVID-19 vaccination record.
- S. citizens
- Holders of a Green Card (lawful permanent residents).
- Diplomats, government officials, their families, as well as representatives of the United Nations
- Crew members of shipping and airlines (C-1/D visas).
- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses, and children (under 18)
- Children under 18 years of age (i.e., between 0 and 17 years at travel time).
- Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccination studies (with official verification).
- COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended for individuals who have a medically confirmed contraindication
- Individuals granted an exemption by the U.S. authorities based on a humanitarian or medical emergency
- Persons whose entry is in America’s national interest (including official confirmation)
Citizens of countries with limited access to COVID-19 vaccines can enter the country on a nonimmigrant Visa (other than B-1, B-2, and B-1/B-2 visas, see CDC’s list).
It is up to the airlines to verify that any exemptions are granted at check-in.
Exempted persons must be vaccinated against COVID-19 within 60 days of arrival or as soon as is medically possible if they are staying for longer than 60 days in the U.S. U.S. citizens, Green Card holders, U.S. Military personnel, airline crew members, and persons with medical contraindications, as well as children under 18 years, are exempt from the vaccination requirement.
Eliminating COVID-19 testing requirements
The official COVID-19 test requirement for international travelers entering the U.S.A has been permanently eliminated as of June 12, 2022.
This eliminates the possibility of submitting evidence to support recovery status instead of a negative COVID-19.
Between January 2021 and June 2022, COVID-19 testing became mandatory for all international airline passengers who wanted to travel to the U.S.A from overseas. To limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants (e.g., Omicron), stricter requirements were placed on passengers who wanted to travel to the U.S.A.
Additional requirements are required for entry to the USA.
On October 25, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new order entitled “Requirement for Airlines and Operators To Collect Contact Information for All Travelers Arriving to the United States.” Beginning November 8, 2021, airlines and other aircraft operators will be required to obtain contact information from U.S. citizens before arriving in the U.S. All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, will benefit from the contact tracing system.
Before you travel to the United States, please make sure that you have the following information:
I.e., a signed written confirmation of the accuracy of the information provided before departure and compliance with any additional requirements at the site.
Airlines must request information on all passengers at least 72 hours before departure.
- Full name of the traveler
- S. Address during the Stay
- Number of travelers
- E-mail address for travelers
- Emergency contact number
The booking process usually includes the ability to ask questions. The data are stored for 30 days before being deleted.
Check the CDC’s online tool to determine which COVID-19 requirements apply to your case.