Covid Travel Ban –US Restricts Entry For Indians

India has been hit hard by the coronavirus in the last few weeks. Cases have surged and new variants have arisen. This situation is terrible for India and Indian nationals. 

Due to the contagious nature of the coronavirus, India’s situation does not just impact its citizens. When citizens travel between countries, there is a risk that they could carry the coronavirus (including novel variants) with them. 

To protect the U.S. public’s health, the Centre for Disease Control has suspended the entry of non-U.S. citizens from India. The restriction applies to travellers who were physically present in India during the 14 days before their scheduled entry into the U.S. 

This travel ban will, however, not apply to U.S. citizens and green card holders, humanitarian workers, and other travellers with exemptions.

At the moment, the restriction will be in effect until the 3rd of June, 2021. But the restriction can be extended if the coronavirus situation in India remains dangerous.

Read on to find out more about the U.S. travel restrictions from India. 

Why Are the Restrictions Happening?

As the coronavirus pandemic develops and changes, countries need to respond by updating their travel restrictions. 

In April 2021, India experienced a massive surge in coronavirus cases. This makes it more likely that travellers from India would have had exposure to the coronavirus.

Additionally, there are multiple coronavirus variants in India. These variants are extremely contagious. If these variants were to spread through the U.S., it would be bad for the health of the U.S. public.

To restrict the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control has decided to restrict entry into the U.S. for travellers from India.

The travel restriction will be put in place on the 4th of May, 2021. At the moment, the restriction will be in effect until the 3rd of June, 2021. The restriction can be extended if the coronavirus situation in India remains dangerous.

India is the latest addition to the list of countries banned from entering the U.S.. Foreign nationals from Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, the UK, or the Schengen Area are also not allowed into the U.S.

Mandatory Requirements For Travelers Entering The U.S.

All travellers entering the U.S. need to meet the mandatory coronavirus screening requirements. These requirements apply even to eligible travellers from India.

Here is a shortlist of travel requirements to enter the U.S.

• If you are an eligible traveller from India, you must have a negative coronavirus test before you will be allowed to board a U.S.-bound flight. 
• You need to have a negative coronavirus test even if you have received the vaccine.
• If you have not been vaccinated, you will have to quarantine for 14 days before the flight.
• Your coronavirus test must be done no more than three days before your flight departs.
• Once you have arrived in the U.S., you must take another coronavirus test. You must also self-quarantine, even if you have a negative test result. 

Exemptions In The India Travel Ban

You are still allowed to enter the U.S. from India if you are:

• a U.S. citizen
• a green card holder
• the spouse of a U.S. citizen
• the spouse of a green card holder.

If you already have your F1 visa or M1 visa, you will be exempt from the travel ban. If you are an incoming freshman student or a continuing international student, you may enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days before the start of your academic studies.

If you are a journalist, academic, humanitarian worker, or critical infrastructure support worker you may be allowed to travel to the U.S. Your case will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you are accepted into the U.S. you will be given a National Interest Waiver. This will allow you entry into the U.S.

Visa Appointments In U.S. Consulates Across India

If you are seeking a U.S. visa in India, expect delays. All U.S. consulates in India have temporarily suspended all consular services. These services are expected to restart on the 16th of May, 2021.

Emergency services for U.S. citizens will still be available throughout the suspension of consular services. Scheduled emergency visa appointments will also still be honoured.

The travel ban will most impact the holders of work, student, and visitor visas, such as H-1B, L1, F-1, and B1 and B2.  Since all visa appointments, in-person, and interview-waiver appointments are cancelled, there will be a delay in visa allocation. 

Currently, the U.S. consulate in Mumbai is the only consulate continuing to honour dropbox appointments.

Flights Between India & U.S.

The availability of flight tickets will also affect your travel plans.

United Airlines and Air India are currently the only two airlines offering flights between the U.S. and India. There are between three and six flights scheduled between the two countries each day.

If you have already booked a flight but are now ineligible to enter the U.S., your tickets will be refunded. Contact your airline to check on the status of your current bookings, cancellations, and refunds.

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Conclusion

Because of the massive surge in coronavirus cases in India,  the U.S. Centre for Disease Control has decided to restrict entry into the U.S. for travellers from India.

If you are a U.S. citizen, green card holder, or an F1 or M1 visa holder, you will still be eligible to travel to the U.S. as long as the mandatory coronavirus requirements are met. 

If you’ve recently applied for a visa, you should also expect delays. At the moment, flights between India and the U.S. are severely limited. So even if you are eligible to travel, it might be hard to get a flight ticket and seat booked. 

Remember, if you’ve already booked a flight but you are now ineligible to enter the U.S., your tickets will be refunded. Contact your airline to check on the status of your current bookings, cancellations, and refunds.

The travel restrictions are in force from the 4th of May, 2021. As things stand currently, the restriction will be in effect until the 3rd of June, 2021. However, if the coronavirus situation in India remains dangerous the restriction may be extended.

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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