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US reopened on 8 November 2021 (& subsequent entry restrictions for non-citizens)

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Old Sep 15, 2021, 1:47 pm
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Last edit by: NewbieRunner
New thread for discussing 1-day test requirements for travellers arriving in the US by air
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel/2060730-us-require-air-travelers-provide-negative-test-within-1-day-departure.html

Entry ban from eight southern African countries starting on November 29, 2021

Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique or Malaw within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/11/26/a-proclamation-on-suspension-of-entry-as-immigrants-and-nonimmigrants-of-certain-additional-persons-who-pose-a-risk-of-transmitting-coronavirus-disease-2019/

Entry ban by air to be lifted on November 8, 2021 - All travelers should refer to CDC for travel requirements.

3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue (US citizens/LPR not vaccinated will have to test no earlier than 1 day prior) Children under 2 years old do not need to test.

Children under 18 are exempt from vaccination requirement
Accepted vaccines will include:
  • AstraZeneca
  • BIBP/Sinopharm
  • Covishield
  • Janssen/J&J
  • Moderna
  • Pfizer-BioNTech
  • Sinovac
Vaccination certificates must come from an official source
There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old
Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases

Update on U.S. travel policy requiring COVID-19 vaccination
Last Updated: October 25, 2021

As announced by the White House today, the new travel policy requiring foreign nationals traveling to the United States to demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 will take effect November 8. The CDC’s website explains that, for purposes of entry into the United States, the accepted vaccines will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines.

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions - U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs
Last updated: October 25, 2021

The presidential proclamations described on this page will no longer be in effect on November 8, 2021. For additional information, please see Safely Resuming Travel by Vaccine Requirement and Rescission of Travel Restrictions on Brazil, China, India, Iran, Ireland, the Schengen Area, South Africa, and the United Kingdom (travel.state.gov).

To protect the public health, there are four presidential proclamations that suspend entry into the United States of all noncitizens who were physically present in any of 33 countries during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. They are Presidential Proclamation 9984 (China); Presidential Proclamation 9992 (Iran); Presidential Proclamation 10143 (Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and South Africa); and Presidential Proclamation 10199 (India).

What we know so far is
- Confirmed to start on 8 November
- Children under 18 are exempt from the vaccine restrictions, so the varying international standards on jab ages won't be an issue here.

- Vaccines that are OK will include Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J and the two Chinese vaccines.
- Some exemptions from vaccinations are potentially allowed, notably for US citizens, though my guess is airlines will be expecting to see vaccine certificates

- 3 day pre-flight testing requirement will continue, so this needs to be a documented antigen/Lateral Flow test or PCR.
- 3 days is potentially more than 72 hours, departure on a Friday afternoon means a test on Tuesday morning or thereafter.
- NHS Lateral Flows and PCRs can't be used.
- Children over 2 years old travelling with vaccinated travellers have to be tested on the same basis (3 days).
- 1 day testing for unvaccinated USA legal residents (testing on or the day before departure), including their children.

- All passengers need to sign an attestment to confirm their negative test result and also a statement to confirm full vaccination status.
- Children who are not vaccinated do not need to get vaccinated but do need to get a "viral test" 3 to 5 days after arrival in the USA
- As a result there is a separate attestion question for unvaccinated children to confirm that the viral test is arranged.

- Vaccination certificates must come from an official source. The NHS COVID Pass app and EU DCC are specifically mentioned as acceptable.
- Vaccination is counted as two weeks from dose2, or 2 weeks after the sole dose in the case of J&J.
- Antibody certification is not a replacement for the need for vaccination, at least for non USA residents.
- 14 clear days need to elapse before travel. So if jabbed on 1 October then 15 October is when you are good to go.
- Booster vaccinations are not a factor here, they don't count towards or against the primary dose process.

- There is a face mask mandate when flying to/from the USA, with effectively no exemptions, and including children two and above years old.
- Airlines need to provide some sort of contact tracing information for potential follow-up cases.
- These restrictions do not apply at the land border.

Note that a lot of interpretation onus falls on airlines. For example there is no language requirement for vaccine certificates as far as the CDC is concerned, however you can imagine Air France may be hesitant in accepting a vaccine certificate issued in the Welsh language, to take one example.

CDC link
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...el-System.html


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US reopened on 8 November 2021 (& subsequent entry restrictions for non-citizens)

 
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Old Sep 8, 2021, 10:55 am
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Old Sep 9, 2021, 6:41 am
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If attempting to travel to the US via the Canada route from the UK and staying in Canada for 14 days, would anyone know if being double jabbed with the AstraZeneca vaccine would still prove to be a block on entering the US?... Since the AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been approved by the US. Or would the 14 day stay in Canada overrride that? Sorry if it's a daft question but this is a complete minefield.

Thanks.
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Old Sep 9, 2021, 6:45 am
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Originally Posted by Kawada10
If attempting to travel to the US via the Canada route from the UK and staying in Canada for 14 days, would anyone know if being double jabbed with the AstraZeneca vaccine would still prove to be a block on entering the US?... Since the AstraZeneca vaccine has not yet been approved by the US. Or would the 14 day stay in Canada overrride that? Sorry if it's a daft question but this is a complete minefield.

Thanks.
Hi Kawada10,

Welcome to flyetalk.

The vaccine type is not a block on entering the US . The 14 days is the main block ( I would also check if a negative covid test is needed to enter the US from Canada ( even if vaccinated)

Regards

TBS
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Old Sep 9, 2021, 7:45 am
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At present, the United States do NOT have any vaccination requirement to enter the country (there were rumors which did not materialize yet). However, pre-departure test is required for all international arrivals.
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Old Sep 9, 2021, 9:37 am
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Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot
Hi Kawada10,

Welcome to flyetalk.

The vaccine type is not a block on entering the US . The 14 days is the main block ( I would also check if a negative covid test is needed to enter the US from Canada ( even if vaccinated)

Regards

TBS
A negative test is required to enter the US even from Canada. Though at least for now, a rapid antigen test from shopper’s drug mart (in Ontario and Alberta only for now) ia accepted by the US. They also only cost 40 CAD with results in 15-30 min.
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Old Sep 9, 2021, 11:59 pm
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Originally Posted by Nayef
A negative test is required to enter the US even from Canada. Though at least for now, a rapid antigen test from shopper’s drug mart (in Ontario and Alberta only for now) ia accepted by the US. They also only cost 40 CAD with results in 15-30 min.
Not required if you enter USA by land. Technically a negative test is not required to enter USA at all. It is only required to board a flight bound for the US. If you can walk, teleport, swim, drive etc to USA you can enter without a test.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 12:06 am
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Originally Posted by nomiiiii
Not required if you enter USA by land. Technically a negative test is not required to enter USA at all. It is only required to board a flight bound for the US. If you can walk, teleport, swim, drive etc to USA you can enter without a test.
The land border remains closed for non-essential travel.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 12:08 am
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Originally Posted by golfmad
The land border remains closed for non-essential travel.
Not if you're a US citizen, green card holder, married/parent/child to one, and a number of other national interest exemptions.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 6:48 am
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Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot
The vaccine type is not a block on entering the US . The 14 days is the main block ( I would also check if a negative covid test is needed to enter the US from Canada ( even if vaccinated)
The whole "even if vaccinated" thing for entering the US is so at odds with the major vaccination push now taking place domestically.
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Old Sep 10, 2021, 3:18 pm
  #2215  
 
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Wink

Originally Posted by vanillabean
The whole "even if vaccinated" thing for entering the US is so at odds with the major vaccination push now taking place domestically.
Remember, we've gotta protect the vaccinated from the unvaccinated workers.
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Old Sep 13, 2021, 6:15 am
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As a UK resident, I keep yo-yoing between the option of going to the US this year via Canada (14 day stay) or booking flights direct to New York for mid November in the hope the ban will be lifted by then. Prices for flights to US remain very low. The only problem with the Canada route is obviously it would cost me quite a bit more with the additional Airbnbs and added hassle etc. I noticed looking at flights for UK to Canada prices are still very low even with Canada fully open to Europe... I am wondering if the US ban is lifted, will ticket prices suddenly sky rocket because it will be getting close to the Christmas period? It's unlikely the airline will honour the original price if you need to move the dates forward. Either way I need to make the trip to see loved ones. If anyone is looking at the same scenario or has any thoughts on the best option it would be good to hear them!

Cheers.
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Old Sep 13, 2021, 6:17 am
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Originally Posted by Kawada10
As a UK resident, I keep yo-yoing between the option of going to the US this year via Canada (14 day stay) or booking flights direct to New York for mid November in the hope the ban will be lifted by then. Prices for flights to US remain very low. The only problem with the Canada route is obviously it would cost me quite a bit more with the additional Airbnbs and added hassle etc. I noticed looking at flights for UK to Canada prices are still very low even with Canada fully open to Europe... I am wondering if the US ban is lifted, will ticket prices suddenly sky rocket because it will be getting close to the Christmas period? It's unlikely the airline will honour the original price if you need to move the dates forward. Either way I need to make the trip to see loved ones. If anyone is looking at the same scenario or has any thoughts on the best option it would be good to hear them!

Cheers.
Can you meet your loved ones IN Canada? That'd also be an option. Not a great one mind you, but AN option.
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Old Sep 13, 2021, 6:23 am
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It sounds like Boris is off to the White House next week.

Maybe this could trigger something
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Old Sep 13, 2021, 9:21 am
  #2219  
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Originally Posted by kingcole974
It sounds like Boris is off to the White House next week.

Maybe this could trigger something
don‘t see why a meeting Boris/Joe should change anything related to the US borders opening up.

I doubt the borders will open prior to March ´22, would be interesting to have a ballot
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Old Sep 13, 2021, 9:43 am
  #2220  
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Originally Posted by 59Impala
…would be interesting to have a ballot
No. It really wouldn’t.
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