Late last year, reports of a novel virus first found in Chinese seafood and poultry began to make the news. Then in January we saw the first reported death. This novel virus, first dubbed “Coronavirus”, is now more properly named COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency in late January, and the United States responded by suspending all entry by foreign nationals who had been in China. Surprisingly, this did not restrict the entry of U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who had been in China.
On January 31, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 9984 titled Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Reports of COVID-19 cases began to come in from France, Italy, Iran, Brazil, and Nigeria. By February 28, the WHO had reported a tremendous uptick in confirmed cases all over Europe.
On February 29, 2020, President Trump signed an additional Presidential Proclamation titled Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Certain Additional Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting Coronavirus to include all aliens who had been physically present in Iran during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.
Then, the WHO declared COVID-19/Coronavirus a pandemic, and in a televised address on March 11th, President Trump announced further restrictions on travel, including temporarily barring travel from 26 European countries to the United States in an effort to ease the economic cost of this viral pandemic.
The travel ban applies only to people who, in the past two weeks, have been in the 26 nations that make up the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The ban does not apply to US citizens returning home, nor to foreign nationals who are legal permanent residents of the US. Also exempted are foreign nationals who are:
· married to US citizens or legal permanent residents
· parents and guardians of US citizens or legal permanent residents aged under 21
· brothers and sisters of US citizens or legal permanent residents, providing both are unmarried and under 21
· children or foster children of US citizens or legal permanent residents
This ban also does not apply to ship and plane crews; foreign nationals invited to the US to help tackle the virus; foreign government officials and their immediate family; foreign nationals who work for the US armed forces, international organizations including NATO and the UN; or whose entry “is deemed in the national interest”.
When does the suspension start and how long will it last?
The restrictions will begin at 11.59 PM ET on Friday, March 13, 2020, and are scheduled to last for 30 days, but could be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground.
Please stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available.
Comments