When Can Fully Vaccinated Travelers Enter the US?

2.6 minute read

"The White House recently announced on Twitter that the United States will be introducing a new travel policy beginning November 8, 2021. The new travel policy will finally allow fully-vaccinated foreign nationals to travel to Canada with very few exceptions. The travel ban imposed on certain countries will also be lifted."

Written by My Visa Source Team
Published on: Nov 9, 2021

The White House recently announced on Twitter that the United States will be introducing a new travel policy beginning November 8, 2021. The new travel policy will finally allow fully-vaccinated foreign nationals to travel to Canada with very few exceptions. The travel ban imposed on certain countries will also be lifted.

What Is the New Travel Policy?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) updated the list of all the vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO). Being vaccinated by the following vaccines will make you eligible to travel to the US by air:

Pfizer
BioNTech
Moderna
Johnson and Johnson
AstraZeneca
Serum Institute of India- COVISHIELD
Sinopharm (Beijing)
Sinovac

International travelers will be required to provide proof of vaccination along with a negative Covid-19 test result taken before boarding a flight to the US. If you are entering the US through the land border, then you will not be required to provide a negative Covid-19 test result, only proof of vaccination would do.

What About the Previous Travel Restrictions?

The Trump administration first imposed travel restrictions on the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. The administration also imposed travel bans on travelers coming from the following countries:

China
Iran
South Africa
Brazil
The Schengen Countries- including 26 countries in the European Union
The United Kingdom
Ireland

There were also land and air travel restrictions on non-essential travelers coming from Canada and Mexico. These restrictions kept millions of visitors from coming to the US, hurting border economies and preventing loved ones from uniting with their families in the US.

In its Twitter notification, the White House indicated that the first phase of lifting these restrictions will begin on November 8, allowing non-essential travelers to come to the US. The second phase will be implemented in early January 2022.

How Will the Lifting of Travel Restrictions Affect International Travelers?

The lifting of the previous travel restrictions is certainly great news to business visitors to the US, who were unable to travel unless they secured a National Interest Exception in advance. However, these relaxations will in no way affect the backlogs faced by immigrants and nonimmigrant visa applicants. Unvaccinated travelers will still be unable to enter the US via land border crossings from Canada and Mexico. Canada opened its borders to fully-vaccinated travelers on August 9, 2021.

Who Will be Exempt from the Vaccination Requirements?

Individuals can secure a National Interest Exception (NIE) if their entering the US will be in the national interest. However, they too will be required to get vaccinated within 60 days of entering the US, unless they qualify for an exemption. The following non-immigrant travelers will be exempt from the fully vaccinated requirement:

Airlines or sea crew members whose operators adhere to all the CDC guidelines

Individuals with a certain type of diplomatic visas

Individuals who can not be vaccinated due to their age

Individuals involved in clinical trials

Individuals who can not take the vaccine due to any pre-existing medical conditions

Individuals who received an exemption from the CDC since they are traveling for humanitarian reasons

Individuals traveling from countries where vaccination is limited, including countries that have vaccinated less than 10% of their population (excludes travelers with a B Visa status)

Members of the US Armed Forces, their spouses, and children

Individuals or group of individuals who have received a National Interest Exception (NIE) from the Secretaries of State, Transportation, Homeland Security, or their designees

International travelers exempted from the fully-vaccinated requirement must still provide a negative Covid-19 test result, wear a face mask throughout their journey, get tested for Covid-19 after arriving in the US, and also arrange to self-isolate upon entry. These travelers must agree to get vaccinated within 60 days of arrival unless their stay is brief or they are participating in clinical trials or have received a vaccine still unauthorized by the US.