Travel Updates: November 8, 2021
Effective November 8th, 2021, the previous travel ban restrictions were lifted and nonimmigrants traveling to the United States by air are now required to show they are fully vaccinated or reflect why they are exempt. What does this mean?
- You must be fully vaccinated to travel to the United States by plane if you are a non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant (not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa). Only limited exceptions apply.
- You are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 when you travel to the United States by air. The timing of this test depends on your vaccination status and age.
- Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is required in indoor areas of public transportation (including airplanes) traveling into, within, or out of the United States and indoors in U.S. transportation hubs (including airports).
If you are a non-U.S. citizen non-U.S. immigrant and not fully vaccinated, you should carefully review the limited exceptions to the requirement to show proof of vaccination to see if any apply to you. If you are unvaccinated and do not meet any of the exceptions, you will not be permitted entry to the U.S. Even if you do qualify for one of the available exceptions, additional requirements may apply to you based on the exception category and length of time you plan to remain in the U.S.
For additional information about the vaccination requirement and exceptions, refer to the following links.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Presidential Proclamation 10294:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) International Student Services has created three COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpages to help our new, current, and graduated international students understand the evolving issues regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). As the situation evolves, we will regularly update you and this webpage. We strongly encourage you regularly monitor official Texas A&M University communications via email and the web as well as our website for updates.
You can view recordings of the COVID-19 FAQ Webinars hosted by ISS at
http://iss.tamu.edu/Events/COVID-19-FAQ-Webinar-Recordings.
Fall 2021 Travel Updates
Effective November 29, 2021: In accordance with Presidential Proclamation of November 26, 2021 entry into the United States is suspended and limited for individuals who were physically present in any of the following 8 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry to the U.S.
- Republic of Botswana
- Kingdom of Eswatini
- Kingdom of Lesotho
- Republic of Malawi
- Republic of Mozambique
- Republic of Namibia
- Republic of South Africa
- Republic of Zimbabwe
This new proclamation is in addition to the Presidential Proclamation of November 8, 2021 vaccination requirement. There are very limited exceptions to this new travel restriction, all of which are specifically outlined in the proclamation itself. Refer to the following webpages for additional information about this new restriction and available exceptions.
At this time, ISS does not have any additional information regarding the new restriction or how it will impact F-1 and J-1 students. Once additional information is clarified, it will be published at https://iss.tamu.edu/Current-Students/ISS-Travel-and-COVID-19-Updates.
Effective November 8th, 2021, the previous travel ban restrictions were lifted and nonimmigrants traveling to the United States by air are now required to show they are fully vaccinated or reflect why they are exempt. What does this mean?
- You must be fully vaccinated to travel to the United States by plane if you are a non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant (not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or traveling to the United States on an immigrant visa). Only limited exceptions apply.
- You are required to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 when you travel to the United States by air. The timing of this test depends on your vaccination status and age.
- Wearing a mask over your nose and mouth is required in indoor areas of public transportation (including airplanes) traveling into, within, or out of the United States and indoors in U.S. transportation hubs (including airports).
If you are a non-U.S. citizen non-U.S. immigrant and not fully vaccinated, you should carefully review the limited exceptions to the requirement to show proof of vaccination to see if any apply to you. If you are unvaccinated and do not meet any of the exceptions, you will not be permitted entry to the U.S. Even if you do qualify for one of the available exceptions, additional requirements may apply to you based on the exception category and length of time you plan to remain in the U.S.
For additional information about the vaccination requirement and exceptions, refer to the following links.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Presidential Proclamation 10294:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/25/a-proclamation-on-advancing-the-safe-resumption-of-global-travel-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Spring 2021 Updates
January 25, 2021: President Biden issued a
presidential proclamation continuing the COVID-19 travel restrictions for the Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Brazil. He also added South Africa to the list.
- Noncitizens "who were physically present within the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), the Republic of Ireland, and the Federative Republic of Brazil 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.”
- “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.”
President Trump's presidential proclamations concerning COVID-19 travel restrictions for
China and Iran are still in force as per a press release from the U.S. Department of State on January 26, 2021.
January 13, 2021: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring all air passengers travelling to the United States have a documented COVID-19 test within 3 days of departure. This will be effective
January 26, 2021.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0112-negative-covid-19-air-passengers.html
Texas A&M University recommends persons who have recently returned to the United States receive a COVID-19 test with in a few days upon arrival.
January 12, 2021: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of State has stated through the media and SEVP representatives that the Fall 2020 COVID-19 guidance will apply for Spring 2021. It is likely that they will not publish revised guidance and we have adjusted the COVID-19 FAQ to reflect the Fall guidance. If more guidance is released, we will update the FAQ and email students.
December 9, 2020: A news article stated, "Nonimmigrant students should continue to abide by SEVP guidance originally issued in March 2020," said the spokeswoman, Carissa Cutrell. "The guidance enables schools and students to engage in distance learning in excess of regulatory limits due to the public health emergency generated by COVID-19."
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/12/09/federal-guidance-foreign-students-remains-same-spring
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of State have not yet published Spring 2021 guidance related to COVID-19 and F or J regulations. ISS will be updating the ISS COVID-19 FAQ to reflect the recent statement from SEVP.
For the most updated version of the Frequently Asked Questions on the March 2020 SEVP COVID-19 Guidance, please check:
www.ice.gov/doclib/coronavirus/covid19faq.pdf
November 24, 2020: A letter has been drafted by ISS for your use at the port-of-entry. This is to explain to the port-of-entry official that Texas A&M University will be having courses face-to-face and students will have the option to enroll in hybrid courses (face-to-face course with a remote option). The letter explaining this is available at
https://iss.tamu.edu/ISS/media/ISS-Files/ISS-PDF/ISS%20Information/Spring-2021-PDSO-Letter.pdf