As we previously reported, President Biden is rescinding the international travel restrictions that have drastically hindered US business and tourist travel for almost 2 years.  Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, November 8, 2021, travelers will no longer need a valid National Interest Exception if they have been in China, Iran, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, or India within the past 14 days.  Instead, they – and all air travelers to the US, with some very limited exceptions – will have to prove they are “fully vaccinated” before boarding a US-bound flight.
Continue Reading US Opens Flights to Fully Vaccinated Travelers – What Does It Mean for You and Your Family?

News sources are reporting that, on September 20, Jeff Zients, White House Covid Response Coordinator, announced easing of restrictions on direct entry into the US by fully vaccinated international travelers.  Few details are available as of this writing.
Continue Reading The end of NIEs is Nigh – Biden’s Covid Team Announces Travel Restrictions to be Lifted in November

At some point this year, we expect that the United States will lift the travel ban that includes all of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, China, and others.  While there have been many rumors about when this will happen, the US government remains silent. When the United States lifts the travel ban, US visa holders in the United States will have many questions about whether they can travel abroad, when they can return, and what impediments they may face.  The following FAQs address these questions. 
Continue Reading International Travel After the US Travel Ban is Lifted – What Visa Holders Can Expect

In the 10 weeks since we last wrote about international travel, some countries have moved to allow more fluid international travel.  For example, the United Kingdom has introduced a set of quarantine exceptions and the United States clarified who is eligible for exemptions to the Presidential Proclamations limiting visa issuance and travel.
Continue Reading COVID-19 UPDATE: Countries take steps to allow more international travel, but barriers remain

In the ten days since we reported on presidential Proclamation 10052, certain questions we and other immigration attorneys had about the proclamation have been clarified.  The proclamation established a ban on admission to the United States for people in the H, L, and J nonimmigrant visa categories for the rest of calendar year 2020. 

Reacting to the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan City in Central China, the Trump Administration has issued a proclamation prohibiting anyone from entering the United States who has been physically present anywhere in China within 14 days of seeking US entry.  The prohibition has no fixed end date, but is to be reviewed every 15 days by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The prohibition does not apply to US citizens or lawful permanent residents, their spouses, or their minor children.  If the citizen or permanent resident is a child under age 21, the prohibition does not apply to the child’s parents, guardians, or minor siblings.  It also does not apply to anyone who is traveling on a diplomatic or crewmember visa or to a handful of additional, unusual situations.Continue Reading White House Prohibits Entry of Certain China Travelers Due to Novel Coronavirus Fears

On January 31, 2020, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation amending Presidential Proclamation 9723, commonly called the “Travel Ban.”  This new proclamation imposes travel restrictions on certain nationals of countries the administration has determined to have inadequate identity-management practices, national security and public safety information practices, and otherwise pose a national security or public-safety risk.
Continue Reading Travel Ban Expanded to Include Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan

Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow the partial implementation of Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” (“EO”), the State Department issued a cable to all diplomatic and consular posts instructing them how to implement the EO, which begins tonight at 8:00 PM EDT.  The ban