WASHINGTON, D.C. — International travelers finally have a firm date when they can enter the U.S.: November 8. “The U.S.’s new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travelers to the United States will begin on November 8,” White House Spokesperson Kevin Munoz said via Twitter. “This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent and consistent.”
All international air travelers will be asked to provide proof of full vaccination and a negative Covid test taken within three days of travel. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it will accept proof of 6 different Covid-19 vaccinations for entry into the country: Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca/Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
Related. U.S. Relaxes Strict Policies for International Travelers
This news follows on the heels of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s announcement that the Canadian and Mexico borders can also reopen to arrivals by land and sea to fully vaccinated travelers; no Covid test is required.
Related. Business Travel Leaders Make the Case for Restarting Events
Both developments were greeted with enthusiasm by business travelers and the entire trade show industry — from convention centers to hotels to the many businesses, big and small, that support it. A travel ban has prevented visitors from dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom and European Union member states, as well as China and Brazil, from entering the U.S. since early 2020.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow, who has been urging the Biden Administration to open border for all international visitors for months, applauded the move to extend the opening to land and sea arrivals from Mexico and Canada, calling it “overdue.”
Related. Roger Dow Talks Borders, Reciprocation and Stepping Down
“This action will provide a jolt to the U.S. economy, travel businesses and destinations across America,” Dow said in a written statement. “Declines In international visitation since the start of the pandemic have resulted in more than a million lost U.S. jobs. The closed Canadian and Mexican land borders alone cost the U.S. economy nearly $700 million per month.”
Reach Roger Dow at (202) 408-8422 or rdow@ustravel.org
