Travel Considerations

Travel Considerations

  • On October 25, 2021, President Biden issued Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-⁠19 Pandemic. This proclamation is effective November 8, 2021.  The proclamation rescinds the four geographic travel ban restrictions as of November 8, 2021, and replaces them with a global requirement that "noncitizens who are nonimmigrants" traveling to the United States by air from any part of the world show proof that they are fully vaccinated, with some limited exceptions. 
  • COVID VACCINATION: Beginning November 8, 2021, foreign nationals traveling to the United States must demonstrate proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.  The CDC provides up to date information for non immigrants to assess their eligibility to travel to and enter the U.S.
  • NEGATIVE COVID TEST: All fully vaccinated air passengers traveling to the U.S. from a foreign country must get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs for the U.S. and to present the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.  An unvaccinated traveler for COVID-19 must show a negative test result for COVID-19 taken one day prior to departure for the U.S., or evidence of a qualifying exemption to the vaccination requirement.

International travel is currently extremely challenging and carries significant risk. ISSO's best advice is not to travel outside the U.S. unless it is absolutely necessary.

Students are advised to review travel and visa restrictions and check with their airline to determine whether travel will be permitted or not. If you are currently outside of the U.S. or plan to travel outside of the U.S. over winter break, we recommend that you continue to monitor the travel updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It is impossible to predict whether further travel restrictions will be put in place by the U.S. government for travelers returning from abroad or if restrictions will be placed on international travel to the U.S. By the U.S. government or your home country government due to the situation in the U.S. or in your home country. 

The main question to ask yourself is: is your travel essential and worth the risk of issues with travel and re-entry to the U.S.? If you decide your travel is essential and worth the risk, please see below for items to consider: 

  • Obtain a recent travel signature on your I-20 or DS-2019. You will need this to re-enter the U.S. 
  • If your visa is expired, you will need to obtain a new visa to return to the United States. You will want to contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you plan on obtaining your visa from to find out interview availability. You can find an U.S. Embassy or Consulate here.  
  • Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the U.S. If the country you will be traveling from is on this list, you will need to quarantine for 2 weeks in a country that is not on this list before entry into the United States. Plan accordingly to arrive no later than January 25, 2021 for the Spring 2021 semester.
  • You can find information regarding the documents you will need to have upon entry here.

Important Links to Review Before you Travel