Here is a summary of each country’s entry restrictions for the novel coronavirus:

U.S. Entry Ban

On Friday, President Trump declared a U.S. public-health emergency and issued an entry suspension for people who could pose a risk of transmitting the novel coronavirus to the U.S., effective Feb. 2.

Any foreign national who has been in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) within the last 14 days is not allowed to enter the U.S. unless they meet at least one of the following conditions:

  • You are a U.S. citizen; or
  • You are a U.S. permanent resident (not including immigrant-visa holders who have not entered the U.S. to obtain a green card); or
  • You are the spouse of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; or
  • You are the legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident under the age of 21; or
  • You are the brother or sister of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident under the age of 21, and both are unmarried; or
  • You are a child, ward, or adoptee of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; or
  • You are invited by the U.S. federal government; or
  • You are airline staff or a seafarer coming to the U.S. to carry out transportation duties; or
  • You hold certain diplomatic or NATO visas; or
  • You are someone the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determines would not pose a threat if admitted; or
  • You were recommended by the U.S. Attorney General, with concurrence from the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, to assist U.S. law-enforcement agencies

to enter the United States.

People who have been in Hubei Province within 14 days are required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entry. Anyone who has been to China is advised to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

In other words, if your child is a U.S. citizen, they can return to the U.S. regardless of visa type. If you do not qualify for any exemption, you may still be able to return after staying in another country for 14 days. But as more countries are reducing entry for travelers who have been to China, this route is becoming increasingly difficult.

U.S. visa operations at China posts suspended

The U.S. Embassy and consulates in China said that, because the World Health Organization declared this coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, they raised the U.S. travel advisory for China to Level 4 (do not travel).

The State Department also decided to allow non-emergency Embassy and consulate personnel in mainland China to leave. Due to crowd-control restrictions, all visa services in mainland China have been suspended effective Feb. 3, and the resumption date has not been set. Appointments for the week of Feb. 3 have been canceled.

The State Department said it would resume visa services as soon as possible when feasible. Chinese citizens can still obtain U.S. visas at U.S. posts in other locations.