Can B1/B2 visa holders even still enter the US?

[sausa 20]

Hello all,

 

My dad who is a South Africa Citizen works abroad in Kazakhstan and is currently expected to leave the country by next week. South Africa is on a lockdown right now and there are literally no flights into the country that he can get on.

 

He has a 10 year B1/B2 visa , my question is as stupid as it may sound, are they even allowing people to enter the US with this kind of visa? Ie visitors ...

 

I am a perm resident here so he asked me if he could come stay with me for a few weeks until stuff calms down. I know for a fact there is a travel ban on people coming from Europe , Kazakhstan isn’t part of that zone. I want to know first if he would even be allowed to enter before planning his routing so that he wouldn’t touch one of those hot zone countries ( even though the us now has the most cases🤔)

[Boiler 43,359]

He would not be allowed, best bet would be to contact his Embassy, I am not aware of any country that is not allowing their own citizens entry, are sure all flights have stopped, I know South African Airlines has but there are of course others,.

[Just Paul 4,591]

27 minutes ago, sausa said:

Hello all,

 

My dad who is a South Africa Citizen works abroad in Kazakhstan and is currently expected to leave the country by next week. South Africa is on a lockdown right now and there are literally no flights into the country that he can get on.

 

He has a 10 year B1/B2 visa , my question is as stupid as it may sound, are they even allowing people to enter the US with this kind of visa? Ie visitors ...

 

I am a perm resident here so he asked me if he could come stay with me for a few weeks until stuff calms down. I know for a fact there is a travel ban on people coming from Europe , Kazakhstan isn’t part of that zone. I want to know first if he would even be allowed to enter before planning his routing so that he wouldn’t touch one of those hot zone countries ( even though the us now has the most cases🤔)

Qatar, Egypt Air, Ethiopian and SAA all are operating today at Johannesburg.

[milimelo 4,156]

Why would he want to go to the States where he has a high likelihood of catching covid than go back to his home country and flights are available? Very strange reasoning. 

[Boiler 43,359]

The important thing is that there is no issue, a friend went to S Africa last year and he connected through the Middle East and I would imagine that is how the OP's father can travel as well.

 

VJ to the rescue!

 

 

[sausa 20]

25 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Qatar, Egypt Air, Ethiopian and SAA all are operating today at Johannesburg.

Company policy does not allow them to transit through the middle east. Theres no flights from Kazakhstan to Ethiopia. Where do you see SAA flying from?

[milimelo 4,156]

16 minutes ago, sausa said:

Company policy does not allow them to transit through the middle east. Theres no flights from Kazakhstan to Ethiopia. Where do you see SAA flying from?

May want to ask for waiver to the policy given limited flight options. Or the company can charter him a flight if they’re that concerned? 

[payxibka 10,044]

If company policy is preventing him from getting home, then it should be the company's responsibility to repatriate him.  If they aren't taking responsibility,  then screw company policy.

[sausa 20]

All that I’m asking is if the US is still admitting B1/B2 visa holders if they haven’t travelled to a hot spot

 

SAA is not flying into JNB or anywhere, I just looked on plane finder and it has a 4 digit ICAO identifier, it’s a repatriation flight or charter...

 

And the main reason he wants to come here instead of go to South Africa is because they will be put in a 14 day quarantine in a government facility. If you want to know what that is like, imagine being locked in a jail with a whole bunch of other unscreened people and probably no access to health care facility’s .

 

Egyptair/Ethiopian? Plane gets stuck in that country from mechanical , boom your quarantined in a 3rd world country. Nice

Edited April 6, 2020 by sausa

[Boiler 43,359]

Well we seems to be in a somewhat different situation than the original post suggested, the answer is no. 

[payxibka 10,044]

Inconvenient truth

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

I believe SAA is only flying charter repatriation flights at present. Not sure if he can somehow get to one of those. 

I would note the official SA travel advisory is ““South African citizens are advised to refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other identified high-risk countries such as China, Iran and South Korea.”

 

Also, I don’t think your description of the quarantine facility is accurate. His best bet is to get home, the same advice that would be given to any citizen of any country anywhere right now. 
 

and what happens if he is denied entry into the US as he clearly will not have a defined period of stay and onward journey booked?

Edited April 6, 2020 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

By the way, OP is correct on flights. Those other ones operating seem to be charters too. SA airspace is closed to commercial traffic from 26 March until at least 16 April. 
 

The only sensible thing to do is for your father to contact the closest embassy to get onto a repatriation flight. 

[milimelo 4,156]

Why not shelter in place until April 16 or when his embassy arranges repatriation? 

[sausa 20]

Not an option unfortunately. They are in a large camp in Kazakhstan for oil, they are shutting it all down and sending everyone home. There’s not even a South Africa embassy near I don’t believe. I highly doubt the South African government is going to charter a plane to Kazakhstan to rescue a handful of people. 
 

it’s no worries was just asking for your guys opinions thanks:)! I was just hoping maybe he could still come here and stay with me for a bit.