U.S. to Require Negative COVID Tests for Travelers from China

On December 28, 2022, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that on January 5, 2023, at 12:01 am, it will implement a requirement for a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery for all travelers two years and older boarding flights to the United States that originated in the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and Macau. The purpose of the requirement is to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, given the recent surge in cases in China and the lack of information being reported by China on this surge.

According to the announcement, beginning on January 5, 2023, travelers two years and older will be required to get a test (such as a PCR or antigen self-test) administered either by an authorized telehealth service or licensed provider no more than two days before departing from the PRC, Hong Kong, or Macau and a subsequent negative result. Passengers who tested positive more than 10 days before the flight can provide documentation of recovery instead of a negative result. Airlines will confirm the negative test result or documentation of recovery for all those boarding the flight.

The CDC provided the following additional information:

• The requirement applies to air passengers regardless of nationality and vaccination status.

• The requirement applies to persons traveling from the PRC via third-country transit and passengers connecting through the United States onward to further destinations.

• In addition to applying to direct flights from the PRC, travelers stopping through Incheon International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport on their way to the United States will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test if they have been in the PRC in the last 10 days, no more than two days before their departure to the United States.

• The Biden Administration chose these transit hubs because they cover a significant majority of travelers originating in the PRC, Hong Kong, and Macau. The announcement indicates that it will continue to monitor travel patterns and update this policy accordingly.

DHS Issues Temporary Exception to COVID Requirements for Nonimmigrants Traveling from Ukraine

Effective February 15, 2022 through 11:59 pm ET March 1, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security has authorized the grant of National Interest Exceptions (NIEs) to Presidential Proclamation 10294, barring U.S. entry by nonimmigrants who are not fully vaccinated, for nonimmigrants traveling from Ukraine to accompany U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The grant comes in light of the Department of State’s February 12, 2022 Level 4 Travel Advisory recommending that individuals in Ukraine depart immediately due to the escalating geopolitical tensions: “Given the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Ukraine, and the need to ensure that individuals traveling with U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can safely depart the country,” Secretary Mayorkas “determined that a temporary exception” for certain nonimmigrants is warranted by the national interest.

To qualify, the noncitizen nonimmigrant must:

• be traveling with a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;

• have been physically present in Ukraine as of February 10, 2022; and

• possess valid travel documents allowing them to travel to the U.S.

Nonimmigrants granted entry under these provisions must:

• attest to having made arrangements to receive a COVID-19 test within three to five days of arrival in the U.S.;

• self-quarantine for seven days;

• self-isolate in the event of a positive COVID-19 test or the development of COVID-19 symptoms; and

• become fully vaccinated for COVID-19 within 60 days of arrival in the U.S., if intending to stay more than 60 days.

Update on Current COVID-19 Requirements for Travel to U.S.

As of January 26, 2022, all foreign nationals wishing to travel to the United States NEED to be fully vaccinated unless exempted.

If you are a foreign national (person who is not a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. legal permanent resident (Green card holders), or a U.S. national) wishing to enter the United States by air, land, or sea, you must be “fully vaccinated” with an approved COVID-19 vaccine in order to be able to travel to and enter the United States.

• You must be prepared to show the appropriate vaccine documentation to the airline at an airport, or to a CBP Official at an airport, border crossing or seaport.

• You must be considered to be “fully vaccinated.” This means:

  • 2 weeks (14 days) must have passed after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine;

  • 2 weeks (14 days) must have passed after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series;

  • 2 weeks (14 days) must have passed after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial; or

  • 2 weeks (14 days) must have passed after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

• Thus far, the United States has approved the following COVID vaccines for travel to the United States: Pfizer-Biotech, Moderna, Janssen/J&J, AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Covishield, BIBP/Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Novavax/Covovax.

• You will not be able to travel to the United States by air, land, or sea if you are not “fully vaccinated” and you DO NOT meet one of the clearly delineated exemptions outlined on the CDC’s website. For more information regarding the exemptions to not being “fully vaccinated” and being able to travel to the United States, we encourage you to visit the CDC’s website at: www.cdc.gov.

As of January 26, 2022, all travelers 2 years old or older need to get tested or show proof of recovery from COVID-19 before traveling to the United States by air.

While only foreign nationals (unless exempted) need to be “fully vaccinated” in order to enter the United States by air, land, or sea, as of December 6, 2021 there has been a change in the COVID testing requirements to enter the United States by air.

• All U.S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, U.S. nationals and foreign nationals who are 2 years old or older need to take a viral COVID-19 test within 1 day of their flight departure to the United States, and show their negative COVID test result to the airline before being allowed to board their flight to the United States.

• In lieu of the negative COVID-19 test result, persons travelling to the United States by air can also show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

As of January 26, 2022, there are no COVID-19 related travel restrictions imposed on any nation.

The travel restrictions that the United States had imposed on eight Southern African nations (South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Namibia, Malawi and Mozambique) as a result of the Omicron variant, and which prevented foreign nationals from traveling to the United States if they had been in any of the above-listed countries within the previous 14 days prior to their travel to the United States, were lifted as of December 31, 2021.