Office of International Programs

Presidential Proclamation Requires Nonimmigrant or Noncitizen Travelers to be Fully Vaccinated Starting November 8

On October 25, 2021, President Biden issued “A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. The proclamation goes into effect on November 8 and it removes the country-specific travel bans previously placed on China, Iran, South Africa, the European Schengen Area, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, and India. Instead, it will require all nonimmigrant or noncitizen travelers to be fully vaccinated and show proof as well as a negative COVID test result when boarding a flight to the U.S. and upon entry to the U.S.

The proclamation applies to air travel only. A separate Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement states that travel for non-essential purposes through land ports on borders with Canada and Mexico will be open to individuals who are fully vaccinated.

There are very limited exemptions to the proclamation, which are for:

U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) and immigrant visa holders
Citizens of a country where COVID-19 vaccination is not widely available
- List of countries with limited COVID-19 vaccination is available on the CDC website
Children under 18 years old
“Noncitizens for whom COVID-19 vaccination is contraindicated or inappropriate”

For additional information, please visit the following links:

If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly Connelly, Senior International Officer and OIP Director.