Holiday Travel - Things to Keep in Mind

As the end of the year and the holidays approach, many employees may have travel plans. Given the uncertainty and delays brought about by the ongoing pandemic, here are some important points to keep in mind as you travel:

  1. COVID-19 Requirements
    At this time, anyone entering the United States by air must show 1) proof of vaccination; and 2) must provide a negative COVID test no more than 1 day before entering the United States. The CDC has issued comprehensive guidance on acceptable proof of vaccination, the (extremely limited) exceptions to the vaccination requirement, and information regarding the requisite negative COVID test, on its website here.

  2. Consular Appointment Delays:
    In many countries, visa stamp appointments continue to be limited and, in some cases, remain emergency-only. Please be sure to check the availability of appointments if you will need a new visa stamp before returning to the United States.

    Note that it may be possible to obtain an appointment in a country other than your home country as a Third Country National (TCN). However, this option has been limited due to country-specific COVID-19 responses. Please be sure to check with the US consular post you are hoping to attend to confirm they are indeed accepting and processing TCN appointments.  As a general note, as of the time of this writing, Mexico and Schengen area countries are currently not accepting Third Country Nationals for nonimmigrant visa processing.
    In some countries, notably Australia, India, and China, dropbox services allow foreign nationals to mail in their passports and receive the required visa stamp back in the mail if 1) it is for the same visa type they currently have and 2) the previous visa was issued within the last 12 months (currently expanded to 24 months for COVID-19 accommodations). However, note that it is always possible for the consulate to require an in-person interview. Note that in India, using the dropbox service still requires an appointment and a physical trip to the consulate. 

  3. General Travel Reminders

    As always, employees should make sure they have the following when traveling:

  • A passport, which should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the expiration of the period of authorized stay in the United States.

  • A valid visa stamp reflecting the employee’s current nonimmigrant visa status. If a new visa stamp is needed, be aware of the issues noted above.

  • A I-797 approval notice or endorsed I-129S, whichever is applicable to that individidu’s visa status.

If you have any specific questions or concerns about your travel plans, please contact your ImmiPartner team for detailed information.


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