The presidential proclamation and CDC order include a very limited set of
exceptions from the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals. These include
exceptions for children under 18, certain COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial
participants, those who need to travel for emergency or humanitarian reasons,
those who are traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with low-vaccine
availability (as determined by the CDC), members of the armed forces and their
immediate families, airline crew, ship crew, and diplomats and their families. See
CDC for more details: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/travelers/international-travel/.
How does the exception from full vaccination for children work?
Children under 18 are excepted from the vaccination requirement for
nonimmigrant foreign national travelers, given both the ineligibility of some
younger children for vaccination, as well as the global variability in access to
vaccination for older children who are eligible to be vaccinated.
U.S. CITIZENS AND LPRs
Q: What are the changes for U.S. citizens and LPRs in this new international
travel system?
Previously, all U.S. citizen and LPR travelers were required to produce a negative
test result within three days of travel to the United States. This requirement
remains the same for U.S. citizens and LPRs who can show they are fully
vaccinated. All fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and LPRs traveling to the United
States should be prepared to present documentation of their vaccination status
alongside their negative test result.
Those U.S. citizens and LPRs who cannot demonstrate proof of full vaccination
will now have to show documentation of a negative test from a sample taken
within one day of departure to the United States.
PROCESS
Do foreign nationals still need approved National Interest Exceptions (NIE) to
travel to the United States before November 8?
Yes, travelers from the 33 countries subject to COVID-related travel restrictions
under the current Presidential Proclamations will still need to obtain national