EWR inbound screening process
 

Hi,

can anyone describe the process, when coming from Europe (with UA) and the first entry airport will be EWR, please? Their shall be some medical screening (before/after immigration)? And do they distinguish between ESTA, US citizens, diplomats? For travelers with connection flights, do they have to change terminals? As I heard, United will fly out of only one terminal.

Thx 4 the answers!

How would an arriving passenger on an ESTA be admissible? E.g., how would she have been permitted to board at her European departure gateway?

Good point. :D Ok, let's stay with diplomatics and US citizens. Just as background, a befriended family of us with diplo-status will have their first run into the US due to their status and I would like to collect some information about the proces to get them as smooth as possible through it.

I don't think "diplo-status" folk are immune from the virus, and in many cases, maybe even more exposed. They better be getting the same evaluation as other flyers.

Guys! Due to the Presidents proclamation, US citizens and diplos are allowed to enter. So I still kindly ask, if someone could describe the process, this may be helpful for others, too.

The purpose of diplomatic entry is to allow diplomats entry to do their diplomatic work. It’s not to conduct vacation. Your friend risks putting her diplo-status in jeopardy and should stay home.

He travels on official business.

Good, so he should come alone.

Now, can someone please answer the OP question about the screening process at EWR for US citizens? We'll take the assumption that it will look much the same as for diplomats.

OP, there may be a discussion of this elsewhere (destination forums or COVID-19 forums) as this is not particularly unique to UA travel

Has he tried asking for processes and procedures from his office? I am sure there are available resources.

In terms of actual first-hand account, for good reasons, a lot of us have been grounded well ahead of the elevation of cases and deaths. I am sure someone will chime in, if they had travelled internationally in recent days. You can also look up other areas of FT, as suggested, as well as platforms outside of FT.

My last international arrival was through a preclearance airport two weeks ago - business as usual at the time. I would have arrived through EWR this weekend had I traveled to Asia - actually, scratch that, I would have been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine at the destination, and again upon US arrival - would have been a mess even if I could find flights home.

You had said “run” in your original post, which suggested that the travel was for leave.

EWR does not have a line for Official Passports but does so for Diplomatic Passports. Official travel (i.e., DoD) is not Diplomatic travel (State).

As this is not focused around United, please follow the discussion as the thread moves to the Practical Travel Safety and Security forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, United forum.

The airline will hand out CDC questionnaire on board the plane — at some point during the flight or after landing — and then that form is to be filled out on the plane and handed over to a medical screening team person at some point upon getting off the plane. This completed form hand off is to be at/near the jet-bridge or before the immigration hall where possible .... and at EWR it is possible. Then after the initial medical screening, it’s proceed to the regular passport control checking area for the routine CBP entry process. From there, at some airports, some people are referred to another medical screening station sort of in the baggage claim area. Then it’s the post-baggage claim exit process for those cleared.

The long waits in dense arrivals halls due to the enhanced screening have largely been replaced with longer waits to get off the plane due to changes practices to get off the plane after landing. But it’s also slower per person when in the arrivals hall area within view of the passport control processing by CBP.

Diplomatic passport user status won’t help a passenger get off the plane faster — at least not commonly — at US airports of entry. But for those with such passports and able and willing to do so, using the diplomat line or crew line still works .... but it’s slowed down too nowadays.

I read the OP’s post quite clearly to mean that the person has a diplomatic passport from a foreign country and that person is coming to the US on official business for the first time — aka first run — using the diplomatic passport for official business. That is allowed still, and the US isn’t allowed to revoke recognized foreign sovereigns’ passports. And a foreign country is unlikely to revoke their own diplomatic passports unless there is a standing reason to do so ..... something that doesn’t happen just for using a diplomatic passport for official business of the country or intergovernmental organization that issued or solicited the issuing of a diplomatic passport on behalf of a person the entity wants to do official business with such status as indicated with the passport.

Even if the referred to guy is a US diplomat, the process is largely the same with regard to entering the US and the passports — except then it’s more commonly the regular line but otherwise the same process as mentioned in the post above.

Arrival at JFK on Turkish Airlines
 

I arrived back from Nepal via Istanbul Sunday afternoon. So, it wasn’t EWR and UA but here’s my experience:

After transferring in Istanbul, I was handed the CDC questionnaire right after boarding. The questionnaire asks whether you have been in the EU or China, So. Korea, Iran, Iraq in the last 14 days and then collects personal, flight, and home address information as well as asking if you had experienced Fever, Coughs, or Shortness of Breath.

Flight lands at JFK, Terminal 1. We waited on the plane while a airport representative told us about the need to self-quarantine for 14 days. We then got off the plane.

Went to Global Entry kiosk and scanned passport... Received a receipt with a big “X” on it telling me to report to standard CBP immigration line. Got in a short line, spoke to the CBP official who then call over uniformed CBP officer who escorted me to the screening room.

in the screening room, I took a seat in the waiting area until they called my name. Then I went to speak with a US Naval medical officer. She asked me about where I’d been and general health questions. Took my temperature via head scan and then sent me to a uniformed CBP officer who asked me questions about where I had been and very closely looked at my passport. I assume this was to ensure I was being honest about countries I had Ben in. Cleared that, picked up my luggage and exited the airport.

it all actually went very quickly since I was one of the first people off the plane and about 50% of the incoming international flights had cancelled.

I arrived at JFK on Tuesday on a flight from Cairo. No medical questions were asked or forms required. I was expecting endless lines. There were none.

I also arrived at JFK, Wednesday AM, coming in from Israel. I WAS able to use Global Entry and no medical questions asked. I think a lot depends on where you are coming from. People heading for quarantine got questions. People like the above poster coming from Egypt and me - no greater risk than I have after 2 days in the US,