At 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 12, 2022, the U.S. is expected to no longer require vaccinated foreign travelers entering the country by air to have a pre-departure COVID-19 test and negative result prior to boarding a flight to the U.S. These new requirements would be an update to COVID-19 entry requirements issued in April 2022 and October 2021.
The decision to relax the entry requirements is anticipated to be made by officials based on scientific data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has reportedly determined that pre-departure testing is no longer necessary for non-immigrant travelers, who are currently required to show evidence of a full course of vaccinations. Reports suggest that the CDC will reassess its decision in 90 days to determine if the testing requirement needs to be reinstated, which could occur in the event there is a new variant of concern.
The new changes are expected to apply only to travelers entering the U.S. by air. Requirements for travelers entering the country by land or ferry are anticipated to remain unchanged. Persons who are not U.S. citizens, permanent residents or U.S. nationals can only enter the U.S. currently if they are fully vaccinated with limited exceptions.
NOTE: An official statement is expected to be released soon regarding the new entry requirements. We will update this article as more information is available.
Originally published 10 0june 2022.
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