On Tuesday, December 28, President Joseph Biden revoked Proclamation 10315 introduced on November 26, 2021, following the World Health Organization’s announcement of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. This proclamation is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on December 31, 2021.
In November, Biden announced that from Monday, November 29, the United States would ban travel from 8 African countries — Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. This policy did not ban flights and did not apply to US citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The CDC now recommends lifting the travel restrictions imposed in Proclamation 10315 as more is known about the Omicron variant and the Omicron variant has spread to more than 100 countries, and it is prevalent in the United States.
The recently shortened timeline for required pre-departure COVID-19 testing for fully vaccinated travelers from no more than 3 days prior to travel to no more than 1 day will remain in effect.
Erickson Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving, and guidance from government agencies and health advisories change often.
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to send updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.