On October 25, 2021, the U.S. President, Joe Biden released the much-anticipated proclamation titled “A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. This presidential proclamation (P.P.) comes into effect on November 8, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, just after midnight and ends the travel restrictions imposed under P.P. 9984, 9992, 10143, and 10199, suspending entry into the United States of certain non-immigrants physical present in Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom in the last 14 days.

This new Proclamation applies only to air travel and takes a more scientific approach to the restrictions and suspends / limits entry into the United States to those non-immigrants who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to some exceptions. This proclamation can be found here. 

Beginning November 8, 2021, all foreign nationals coming into the U.S. must carry proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is important to note that one can board the flight based on this proclamation only after 12:01 a.m. EST on November 8, 2021. At the time of this writing, the vaccines that qualify under this rule, are those that are approved by the FDA or authorized by WHO for emergency use. Accepted single-dose vaccine is Janssen/J&J and accepted two-dose series are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna (these two are approved both by FDA and WHO), AstraZeneca, Covishield, BIBP/Sinopharm, and Sinovac. More information on the FDA and WHO and vaccinations is available with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more specifically, at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC website here. Additionally, travelers should carry a negative COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 hours of departure. 

This development directly implies that obtaining a “National Interest Exception” (NIE) will no longer be required for non-immigrant air travelers to the U.S. who have been vaccinated according to CDC guidelines. We will continue to monitor and provide our readers with the latest updates on this matter. FAQ released by the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs can be found here.