Breaking: U.S. Adds India to COVID-19 Travel Ban

In breaking news, the White House stated that India will be added to the list of countries subject to the U.S. COVID-19 travel ban as of May 4, 2021. This announcement comes as India is experiencing a record surge in COVID-19 cases.

While official details are forthcoming, we anticipate the India ban will work much like the U.S. travel bans for other countries currently in place. These bans prohibit entry for persons who were physically present in the U.K., Ireland, Schengen area, Brazil, South Africa, China, or Iran during the 14 days prior to seeking entry into the United States. There are limited exceptions that apply, including but not limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and certain close family members of U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Foreign nationals may also request an exception if their entry is in the U.S. national interest.

Individuals subject to the ban would need to do a two-week layover in a non-restricted country prior to arriving to the U.S. absent a national interest exception. The COVID-19 situation is also likely to impede consular operations in India moving forward. As the U.S. consulates in India had begun a resumption of limited visa services, it will be important for Indian nationals to reevaluate any upcoming travel and/or visa renewal plans in light of this development.

The author of this article, James Cypert, is a Houston immigration attorney at Gee & Zhang and is actively monitoring the situation. Our firm will update our website as significant developments occur.