The White House today (October 25) officially issued an presidential proclamation, marking the formal rollout of the new policy. At the same time, the CDC also released technical instructions under that proclamation, specifying which vaccines will be accepted. The new entry policy will take effect on November 8. This proclamation currently covers air travel only; entry into the U.S. by land or sea may be addressed in other proclamations.

After keeping region-based entry bans in place for a year and a half, including for mainland China, the Schengen Area, the UK, and other countries, the Biden administration is now rescinding those restrictions and replacing them with a new vaccine-based entry policy. Travelers heading to the U.S. from Europe and mainland China will no longer need to quarantine in a third country first. In addition, the proclamation clearly states that visa issuance will not be affected by the proclamation, which also removes one major obstacle behind the lack of visa processing at U.S. embassies and consulates.

New entry requirements

The new entry requirements are as follows:

  • Vaccinated nonimmigrant travelers: must carry proof of vaccination and take a COVID test within 3 days before departure; otherwise, entry will not be allowed unless one of the exceptions applies.
  • Unvaccinated U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and immigrant visa holders: must take a COVID test within 1 day before departure and take another test after arriving in the United States.

Exceptions for nonimmigrants: if you fall into one of the categories below, you may enter without vaccination as long as you commit to completing vaccination within 60 days after entry:

  • Airline crew or crew of other aircraft;
  • A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3 (foreign government officials and family members), E-1 (TECRO/TECO officials and family members), G-1 through G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, and NATO-6 visas;
  • Persons who must enter the United States under the UN Headquarters Agreement or other U.S. international obligations;
  • Persons for whom vaccination is not age-appropriate (under CDC rules: under age 18);
  • Persons who have participated in or are participating in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials;
  • Persons for whom vaccination is medically contraindicated (under CDC rules);
  • Persons approved by the CDC for humanitarian or emergency travel;
  • Citizens of countries with limited vaccine availability (this exception does not apply to B-1 and B-2 travelers);
  • Members of the U.S. military and their family members;
  • Seafarers on C-1 or D visas;
  • Other persons whose entry is in the national interest, as determined by the Department of State, Department of Transportation, or Department of Homeland Security.

The vaccination requirement does not apply to people staying in the United States for only a very short period, or to some people who should not be vaccinated for various reasons, such as medical reasons or having already received a vaccine that is not recognized.

Is my vaccine accepted by the U.S.?

The United States accepts the following vaccines:

  • Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
  • Pfizer-BioNTech
  • Moderna
  • AstraZeneca
  • Covishield
  • BIBP/Sinopharm
  • Sinovac

You are considered fully vaccinated only 14 days after completing the required doses. If you received a mix of the above vaccines, the interval between the two doses must be at least 17 days.

Proof of vaccination

The United States accepts both paper and electronic proof of vaccination, and the check will be handled by the airline. The proof must include at least your name and date of birth, and that information must match the information on the passenger's passport or other travel documents (not necessarily the document used for boarding).

Visas

U.S. consulates and the embassy in mainland China have suspended routine visa issuance, and are issuing visas only to applicants who qualify for exemptions, including National Interest Exceptions (NIE). After these new entry policies take effect, visa processing will reopen again, although local COVID restrictions may still limit capacity. In addition, if you are currently in the United States and plan to return home for visa processing, the author recommends getting vaccinated before you leave. Visa processing may also require proof of vaccination in the future, to help ensure that you will not be denied entry.

Recommendation

If you plan to travel to the United States in the near term, the author recommends booking flights in advance. Once the border reopens, many people may need to travel to the U.S. Unlike U.S.-Europe routes, U.S.-China flights remain subject to the strict “Five One” policy limiting the number of flights, so airlines may not be able to add much capacity. As seen during past back-to-school travel surges, this could push airfares up sharply.