Possible Removal of Travel Restrictions on Vaccinated Travelers (UPDATED)

UPDATED 10/25/2021

The Biden Administration has announced new international air arrival requirements for nonimmigrant visa holders (applicable to most international students, scholars, and employees) that go into effect on November 8. Please read this announcement for more information.

UPDATED 10/15/2021

Dear Members of the International Community at Tufts:

Several news media outlets are reporting today that the Biden Administration intends to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions on persons coming to the US from certain countries and regions - including China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and the Schengen Area as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland - as early as November 8. At this time, we do not yet have officially published guidance from the Administration. However, current news reports indicate that international travelers to the US will instead be required to show evidence that they have been fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID vaccine and also a negative COVID-19 test result from a COVID test taken within three days prior to departure to the US.

Once the International Center receives official confirmation and is able to assess the impact on our student and scholar visa holders, we will communicate this information out to our community as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center

As of 9/20/2021

Dear Members of the International Community at Tufts:

The International Center has received preliminary information from news reports indicating that the Biden Administration will remove travel restrictions on fully vaccinated travelers starting in November. At this time, this information is based on news reports only and is awaiting official confirmation.

The proposed change in policy could mean that current COVID-19 restrictions on entry into the US will be removed for fully vaccinated air travelers to the US. Under the current COVID-19 entry restrictions, most nonimmigrant visa holders coming to the US from certain countries and regions - including China, Iran, South Africa, India, and the Schengen Area plus the United Kingdom / Ireland - are not able to travel directly to the US if they were physically present in those regions within the 14 day period prior to entry. Travelers were required to get a National Interest Exception (NIE) from a US consulate, or go to a third country for at least 14 days prior to traveling to the US. Certain nonimmigrants, in particular F-1 students and their F-2 dependents, were granted automatic NIE approvals, but other visa holders (including J-1 exchange visitors and H-1B temporary workers), had to obtain NIE approvals from their US consulates. The announcement suggests that these restrictions will be removed for those travelers who can show that they are fully vaccinated prior to their departure for the US.

We are waiting for an official announcement for confirmation and we will communicate details as soon as they become available to us.

Sincerely,

Tufts International Center