Flying into the US

[HRQX 4,145]

2 hours ago, Disfan01 said:

right now, they’re requiring a negative COVID test within 3 days of departure.

That is true for your stepson since he'll be traveling with an Immigrant Visa. But your stepson's mother cannot enter the US (*unless she is somehow exempt) if she has been physically present in South Africa during the 14-day period preceding her attempted entry into the US: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/covid-19-travel-restrictions-and-exceptions.html

[Disfan01 9]

53 minutes ago, HRQX said:

That is true for your stepson since he'll be traveling with an Immigrant Visa. But your stepson's mother cannot enter the US (*unless she is somehow exempt) if she has been physically present in South Africa during the 14-day period preceding her attempted entry into the US: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/covid-19-travel-restrictions-and-exceptions.html

Oh wow.  Thanks for that info.  I hadn’t heard this.  I’ll pass it on and we will have to possibly look at another solution if the proclamation is still in place. 

[Suze1 366]

Yep, must stay current  on the covid restrictions, for sure.

Nice @HRQX

[HRQX 4,145]

1 hour ago, Disfan01 said:

Oh wow.  Thanks for that info.  I hadn’t heard this.

She has the option of going to Costa Rica, or Panama, etc. with her son for 14 days and then travel directly from the unrestricted country to the US:

South Africans have visa-free access to Costa Rica:

• https://migracion.go.cr/Documentos compartidos/Circulares y Directrices/2021/DIRECTRICES GENERALES DE INGRESO Circular DG-004-2021-UI-AJFEB 2021.pdf Page 5
• https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements "Air and marine entry to Costa Rica has been opened for all countries."

Also to Panama:

• https://www.embassyofpanama.org/visas-1
• https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/panama-is-open-to-tourists-what-you-need-to-know.html

Edited June 29, 2021 by HRQX

[HRQX 4,145]

forgot to add: "negative COVID results will still be required for both her and her son when travelling from the unrestricted country to the US"

Edited June 29, 2021 by HRQX

[Disfan01 9]

Thank you both so much! You guys are awesome! 😁

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

12 hours ago, HRQX said:

She has the option of going to Costa Rica, or Panama, etc. with her son for 14 days and then travel directly from the unrestricted country to the US:

South Africans have visa-free access to Costa Rica:

• https://migracion.go.cr/Documentos compartidos/Circulares y Directrices/2021/DIRECTRICES GENERALES DE INGRESO Circular DG-004-2021-UI-AJFEB 2021.pdf Page 5
• https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements "Air and marine entry to Costa Rica has been opened for all countries."

Also to Panama:

• https://www.embassyofpanama.org/visas-1
• https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/panama-is-open-to-tourists-what-you-need-to-know.html

it is one heck of a hassle to get to either of those from SA though. It may be better to go through one of the non-schengen European countries, though that may require visas. Turkey and Serbia seem to be the two popular options for this.  Unless Turkey has changed its rules since I last went they have visas on arrival for South Africans, and unless Turkish airlines has changed its routing there should be direct flights to Istanbul from SA.  Not sure what the current Covid situation in Turkey is.  I don’t think there are direct flights to Serbia but it will likely still be an easier connection than getting to Central America.
 

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by SusieQQQ

[Disfan01 9]

Okay, we are hopefully getting close to flight time.  Our interview is scheduled for August 5th.
 

upon rereading the presidential proclamation, it seems as though our sons mom should still be able to accompany him on his flight. Am I reading section IV correctly? Or am I missing something? 
 

(b)  The entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within the Republic of South Africa during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, is hereby suspended and limited subject to section 2 of this proclamation.
Sec. 2.  Scope of Suspension and Limitation on Entry. 

(a)  Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to:

(i)     any lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(ii)    any noncitizen national of the United States;

(iii)   any noncitizen who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;

(iv)    any noncitizen who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is unmarried and under the age of 21;

[HRQX 4,145]

17 minutes ago, Disfan01 said:

Am I reading section IV correctly? Or am I missing something?

Your son will not have I-551 type document when boarding the US-bound flight as he will not be a LPR at that moment. Thus his mom will not be exempt to the proclamation (I'm assuming she doesn't have another child that is a USC or LPR). The airlines use Timatic: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

Edited July 19, 2021 by HRQX

[Disfan01 9]

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

Your son will not have I-551 type document when boarding the US-bound flight as he will not be a LPR at that moment. Thus his mom will not be exempt to the proclamation (I'm assuming she doesn't have another child that is a USC or LPR). The airlines use Timatic: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

Ugh, thanks for the clarification.  Was hoping it was when he was issued the visa rather than upon landing. 
 

so, to be technical, she could bring him as far as Mexico, then we meet her there and bring him back to the states.  Once he’s in the states with us, she would be able to come as the parent of an LPR?  Not that that’s really a likely scenario, but she was hoping to come for the week or two before and when he starts school, just to help him get settled and meet his teachers.  But she wouldn’t have enough vacation time to spend 2 weeks in Mexico and then 2 weeks here. 

Edited July 20, 2021 by Disfan01

[HRQX 4,145]

26 minutes ago, Disfan01 said:

so, to be technical, she could bring him as far as Mexico, then we meet her there and bring him back to the states.

Actually, that is good idea (assuming there are flights to Mexico that don't transit the US). With her US visitor visa she can visit Mexico: https://embamex.sre.gob.mx/australia/index.php/visitorvisa "If you currently hold a valid multiple entry visa from Canada, the United States of America, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or any of the countries that make up the Schengen Area, as long as you do not stay in Mexico for more than 180 days nor work in Mexico, and that your visa is valid during your entire stay in Mexico."

 

If you bring him back via land POE then you guys won't need negative COVID-19 tests. The tests are only required when flying-in.

26 minutes ago, Disfan01 said:

Once he’s in the states with us, she would be able to come as the parent of an LPR?

Yes, that should work. The CBP-endorsed IV will be his I-551 document. But she would need to fly from Mexico to the US. Tourists generally cannot cross via land POE right now: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/23/2021-13235/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service And she'll need the above mentioned negative COVID-19 test when boarding the US-bound flight.

[HRQX 4,145]

15 minutes ago, HRQX said:

With her US visitor visa

I forgot to ask if your son also has a tourist visa for an above mentioned country (i.e. Mexico, US, Canada, etc.) in order to enter Mexico.

Edited July 20, 2021 by HRQX

[SusieQQQ 11,585]

4 hours ago, Disfan01 said:

Ugh, thanks for the clarification.  Was hoping it was when he was issued the visa rather than upon landing. 
 

so, to be technical, she could bring him as far as Mexico, then we meet her there and bring him back to the states.  Once he’s in the states with us, she would be able to come as the parent of an LPR?  Not that that’s really a likely scenario, but she was hoping to come for the week or two before and when he starts school, just to help him get settled and meet his teachers.  But she wouldn’t have enough vacation time to spend 2 weeks in Mexico and then 2 weeks here. 

I have not read back in the thread - can one of you not go and fetch him, then his mom can follow on a flight soon after once she can obtain proof of a minor LPR child?

[LexieJ 44]

My niece flew here from the Philippines as unaccompanied minor and she was 12 then(flight was 13 hours non-stop from Manila to San Francisco) she did fine, there's unaccompanied minor services with the airlines that you can arrange, maybe look into this option if mom could not take him here. The airline staff accompanied her all the time until we met her at the arrival area in San Francisco. Something to look into as another option. She was petitioned by my ex sister in law/step mom as LPR.

Edited July 20, 2021 by LexieJ
additional infor

[Disfan01 9]

5 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

I have not read back in the thread - can one of you not go and fetch him, then his mom can follow on a flight soon after once she can obtain proof of a minor LPR child?

That would be ideal, but unfortunately my husband won’t have enough vacation days from work. We also have a 3 year old who is my shadow at the moment, so I couldn’t fly alone and I’m not sure my sanity could handle flying for 4 days with a toddler on my own.  If it comes down to it, dad may have to take a few unpaid days.