US to Lift Travel Ban for Fully Vaccinated Travelers to the US

[Captain Ewok 1,857]

Summary:

 

The U.S. will ease travel restrictions for international visitors who are vaccinated against Covid-19 in November, including those from the U.K. and EU, the White House said Monday.

Noncitizens visiting the United States will have to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure, said Jeff Zients, who is leading the nation’s Covid response efforts for the White House.

 

The changes will take effect in early November, which the airline industry expects will spur holiday bookings. “They must show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane,” Zients said during a press briefing.

 

The Biden administration is also tightening rules for unvaccinated U.S. citizens returning home. They will need to test one day before departure and test again after returning.

 

There will be a few exemptions to the vaccination requirements for foreign visitors, such as for children not yet eligible to be vaccinated, according to a person familiar with the White House’s strategy, but full details of the policy have not yet been released.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/us-to-ease-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid.html

[Crazy Cat 39,227]

13 minutes ago, Captain Ewok said:

They will need to test one day before departure and test again after returning.

I'd like to see how they plan to enforce the "test again after returning" requirement.

[Bill Hamze 89]

9 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

I'd like to see how they plan to enforce the "test again after returning" requirement.

Yeah, it would be much easier if they used rapid tests instead of RT-PCR tests for both departure and arrival. Just do it at both airports. Boom, problem solved.

[NorthernBoy 5]

Wondering if the "covid-19 vaccination requirements for foreign visitors" is applicable to K1 visa holders? or is there a NIE for K1 visa holders who are not vaccinated or are vaccinated by non-USA-approved/recognized vaccine?

 

I remember K1 visa holders were exempt from the former ban on foreign visitors entering US due to embassy giving K1 Visa holders a NIE (National Interest Exempt)

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/766388-travel-ban-k1-applicants/

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/767720-k1-exempt-from-travel-restrictions/

 

Thanks,

[Crazy Cat 39,227]

This is totally different.  I would think any non-us citizen will be required to show proof of vaccination.

[raga12 2]

On 9/22/2021 at 10:42 AM, Bill Hamze said:

Yeah, it would be much easier if they used rapid tests instead of RT-PCR tests for both departure and arrival. Just do it at both airports. Boom, problem solved.

any info about travelers required to carry their ICV or yellow card?

[Danmuji 14]

The powers that be really need to come up with a global vaccination verification system. 

 

For people who've been vaccinated here, what are you using to prove it? 

[midwinterrose 263]

2 hours ago, Danmuji said:

The powers that be really need to come up with a global vaccination verification system. 

 

For people who've been vaccinated here, what are you using to prove it? 

The powers that be really need to stop forcing a dangerous, ineffective injection on the populace by means of outrageous human rights violations.

[Adventine 3,187]

9 hours ago, Danmuji said:

The powers that be really need to come up with a global vaccination verification system. 

 

For people who've been vaccinated here, what are you using to prove it? 

 

The only proof people have right now are the paper COVID vaccine cards issued by the CDC, or other equivalents issued by individual countries.

 

I would not be surprised if COVID vaccine proof becomes part of the other vaccines normally listed on the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (aka yellow card or carte jaune), which has been used for decades for international travel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Certificate_of_Vaccination_or_Prophylaxis

[Bjh 39]

On 9/21/2021 at 12:56 PM, Captain Ewok said:

Summary:

 

The U.S. will ease travel restrictions for international visitors who are vaccinated against Covid-19 in November, including those from the U.K. and EU, the White House said Monday.

Noncitizens visiting the United States will have to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure, said Jeff Zients, who is leading the nation’s Covid response efforts for the White House.

 

The changes will take effect in early November, which the airline industry expects will spur holiday bookings. “They must show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane,” Zients said during a press briefing.

 

The Biden administration is also tightening rules for unvaccinated U.S. citizens returning home. They will need to test one day before departure and test again after returning.

 

There will be a few exemptions to the vaccination requirements for foreign visitors, such as for children not yet eligible to be vaccinated, according to a person familiar with the White House’s strategy, but full details of the policy have not yet been released.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/us-to-ease-travel-restrictions-for-foreign-visitors-who-are-vaccinated-against-covid.html

I am wondering if this includes China, Brazil, and South Africa too...

[Bill Hamze 89]

So I'm curious about one thing. My wife and I have vaccine passports in Vietnam, so we meet the requirements to enter the U.S. (as a USC, I still can if unvaccinated, but will need a covid test within 24 hours of departure, but I digress).

 

However, our vaccine certificates are missing lot/batch numbers of the shots we received. Likely reason is that Vietnam was in a hurry to vaccinate as many people quickly as possible, and they didn't take the time to record lot numbers for everyone.

 

Do they care about lot numbers? I've seen nothing in the requirements that say we need to show lot numbers on the vaccines we got, nor do any other childhood vaccinations like MMR, Hep, etc. Same for covid?

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Bill Hamze

[Derrick and Gail 5]

I don't have a ready answer for you about what the US will do. I am not convinced that the US has a firm idea yet of what it will do.

But for the past six months I worked for the Irish vaccination service and what we did and the others do might be a guide.

 

The EU digital covid cert issued by every state does not contain lot or batch numbers. It just lists the type and date of vaccination, each state agrees to accept the information provided by the others. Obviously within any state, the certificate they issue will be traceable back to national records which include batch/lot number but airport authorities just want a QR code they can scan that makes their screen green and happy.

 

If anyone arrives from outside the EU fully vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine, their certificate was generally accepted.

(You need proof of vaccination  - until 22 October - to dine indoors or get into a bar and a lot of venues want something they can scan).

 

Travel: I have just flown to Canada so I can spend two weeks being not in the EU so I can then visit my US fiancee. Canada needed proof of vaccination and accepted my uploaded EU cert. 

 

Immigration and visas: A friend has moved to Kuwait from South Africa and his big problem was waiting for SA to issue a national vaccination certificate that Kuwait would recognise for his visa. Americans going to work there were in the same boat - they had no proof of vaccination that Kuwaiti authorities would recognise - they were demanding proof of each dose. Or a certificate with a QR code. Basically they wanted everyone to have an EU-style cert.

 

I believe that in the end Kuwait just changed its requirements to suit the proof that people had because it became too much of a headache.

 

Only case of batch numbers: If anyone arrived in the Ireland presenting evidence of one vaccination with an EMA-approved vaccine, it could be registered as a first dose as if it had been administered in Ireland so that we could then administer Dose 2 and certify them.

In that case we need the type, date, country and batch number and frequently sent them back to contact their national health authorities to get that.

I dealt with people from the UK, Aus and Spain and Brazil who were able to. I actually remember one from Vietnam, but I have no idea what the outcome was. But that seems to be the only situation where batch numbers were needed.

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Derrick and Gail

[Lskifghj 53]

Can Europeans now apply for ESTA to travel in November or do ESTA applications have to wait until 11/8?  Is it recommended to buy tickets now? 

[sl1pstream 551]

On 9/26/2021 at 10:28 AM, radharose said:

The powers that be really need to stop forcing a dangerous, ineffective injection on the populace by means of outrageous human rights violations.

Are you talking about the smallpox vaccine or any of the other vaccines you're required to get to participate in society?

Or specifically the COVID vaccine, which has proven to actually work right now and has shown no actual signs of danger, whereas being unvaccinated significantly heightens your risk of ending up on a ventilator, overcrowding hospitals and dying a horribly painful and lonely death? I honestly can't wait to get my booster in the next few weeks. I'm also super excited to finally see my family again, who can now travel here while I wait for my travel authorization to get through the stupid system.

EDIT: In before "but why do you need booster shots if it works so well".
 

All of these need a series of 3-4 shots within 18 months:

Hepatitis B (3 shots)

Rotavirus (3 shots)

Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) (4 shots before 18 months, then a shot every 4 years)

Haemophilus influenzae type b (3 shots)

Pneumococcal conjugate (4 shots)

Polio (4 shots)

Hepatitis A (2 shots within a year)

Human Papillomavirus (3 shots)

Edited October 26, 2021 by sl1pstream

[brendaaa 27]

20 hours ago, sl1pstream said:

Are you talking about the smallpox vaccine or any of the other vaccines you're required to get to participate in society?

Or specifically the COVID vaccine, which has proven to actually work right now and has shown no actual signs of danger, whereas being unvaccinated significantly heightens your risk of ending up on a ventilator, overcrowding hospitals and dying a horribly painful and lonely death? I honestly can't wait to get my booster in the next few weeks. I'm also super excited to finally see my family again, who can now travel here while I wait for my travel authorization to get through the stupid system.

EDIT: In before "but why do you need booster shots if it works so well".
 

All of these need a series of 3-4 shots within 18 months:

Hepatitis B (3 shots)

Rotavirus (3 shots)

Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) (4 shots before 18 months, then a shot every 4 years)

Haemophilus influenzae type b (3 shots)

Pneumococcal conjugate (4 shots)

Polio (4 shots)

Hepatitis A (2 shots within a year)

Human Papillomavirus (3 shots)

You say it's safe and there is no danger but I personally know 4 people who got the vaccine months ago in Israel, that got injured and their world turned upside down, doctors admitted this was caused by the vaccine. one is 40 years old who is now paralyzed after the booster shot.