Coronavirus Travel Bans and U.S. Immigrants

UPDATE: Effective March 11, 2020, the U.S. has instituted a travel ban between the U.S. and most of Europe. For more information, see below.

With the coronavirus now being elevated by the World Health Organization to a pandemic, the United States is taking a number of actions to combat the spread of the virus, including instituting a travel ban to countries with levels of infection and risk. While these measures are meant to aid in the global effort to contain the virus, they are resulting in side effects that impact the U.S.’s immigrant population profoundly. 

Read on to learn more, or check out our video Coronavirus US travel ban explained! Effects on Visa Holders and Immigrants?

Coronavirus Travel Ban 

In an early effort to limit the spread of Coronavirus within the U.S., the U.S. instituted a travel ban between the United States and countries that have a significant number of reported cases of the virus. These countries include: 

• China
• Italy
• South Korea
• Iran
• Singapore 
• Japan
• Mongolia
• Hong Kong
• Mexico

The length of the ban on travel between the U.S. and these countries is largely dependent on the containment and reduction in cases of the Coronavirus globally and in these countries, in particular.

European Travel Ban

United States President Donald Trump announced on March 11 that, effective at midnight on Friday, March 13, a ban on travel between the U.S. and Europe would take effect for 30 days. 

The European travel ban affects 26 European countries, including:

• Austria 
• Belgium
• Czech Republic 
• Demark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg 
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland 
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia 
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland 

At the time of this writing, there are no plans to halt travel between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Nearly 5 million European immigrants live in the U.S. at present and will be affected by this travel ban. 

How Travel Bans are Affecting U.S. Immigrants

Coronavirus travel bans are deeply affecting the U.S.population and immigrants, in particular. But it is affecting different non-citizens to different extents and in different ways, so it is important to understand how it is affecting you. 

U.S. Ports of Entry

Travelers should expect long delays are U.S. ports of entry. As of this writing, only seven U.S. airports are accepting international flights. These airports include:

• Chicago O’Hare International (Chicago, IL) 
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu, HI) 
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atlanta, GA) 
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, NY) 
• Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, CA)
• San Francisco International Airport (San Francisco, California) 
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Seattle, Washington)

Coronavirus Travel Ban with China

Effective as of February 2, 2020, the United States has imposed a travel ban on all foreign nationals who had visited China in the preceding 14 days. Any foreign national having traveled to China during that window, regardless of their visa status, will be denied entry into the U.S.

Some airlines have halted flights to and from China outright, regardless of which country is being traveled to or from. These airlines include:

• Air Canada
• Air India
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Delta
• Indigo Air
• KLM
• United Airlines

Each airline has set its own terms about how and when flights to and from China, in or outside of the U.S., will resume. For more information, visit the airline provider’s website.

Restricted Travel to India for NRI’s and OCI Card Holders

Now that the virus has reached pandemic levels, India’s government has halted the issuing of all visas until April 15, 2020. As a result, Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) are currently prohibited from entering the country. 

The lone exception for this visa ban will be for travel plans deemed “unavoidable” at the discretion of the Indian Embassy. NRIs and OCI cardholders who meed this threshold will need to obtain a temporary travel visa from their local Indian Consulate. 

U.S. Citizens and Green Card Holders

For green card holders, the travel ban rules are mostly the same as for other foreign nationals and immigrants, with a few notable exceptions. Green card holders having traveled to China must:

• Be quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the U.S.
• Submit to advanced health screenings
• Submit to monitored self-quarantine for two weeks or more

These items apply to the immediate family members of permanent residents and green card holders, too. These exemptions include:

• Spouses of permanent residents and U.S. citizens
• Parents and legal guardians of permanent residents and U.S. citizens
• Siblings of permanent residents and U.S. citizens
• Children of permanent residents and U.S. citizens 
• Foster children of permanent residents and U.S. citizens 
• Prospective adoptees of permanent residents and U.S. citizens
• Wards of permanent residents and U.S. citizens 

It is recommended that international travel for you and for your immediate family be avoided, if possible, at this time, however. 

How to Prepare for the Coronavirus Travel Ban

While there’s currently no word on how long the various travel bans may last, there are some safety precautions you can take in the meantime to make sure you stay safe for the duration:

• Avoid travel, unless absolutely necessary
• Check to see if your existing travel plans are already impacted
• Consider travel insurance, if it is still an option for you
• Understand how your medical insurer is covering Coronavirus-related testing

Understand that these are precautions, not a guarantee that you will not contract the virus experience issues with your plans should you travel during this period. 

Final Thoughts

As has been mentioned several times above, it is best to avoid travel is possible. The Coronavirus situation is creating many new issues, especially for visa holders with regard to travel. If travel is still possible with your destination country and the plans cannot be changed, it is important to understand the above information to avoid an even more complicated situation for yourself. 

For more information on Coronavirus and its effects on U.S. immigrants, see our article one Coronavirus and U.S. Visa.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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