With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these updates to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information helpful, too.
International Updates
Colombia | Starting September 21, international flights will gradually resume. Planned health protocols include requiring individuals to provide negative coronavirus tests before traveling.
Case Update: 7,338 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
Estonia | In May, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania created a “travel bubble,” allowing people to travel between the countries without quarantine. Following a spike of cases in Estonia, the “bubble” has been suspended, and Latvia is requiring a 14-day quarantine for anyone from Estonia.
Case Update: 90 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
Japan | Japan will form a “green lane” for essential business and official travel between Singapore from September 18. Singapore has other green lane arrangements with other countries, as well.
Case Update: 680 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
Singapore | From September 17, all Long-Term pass and IPA holders who have traveled to India within the past 14 days before arriving in Singapore will be required to provide a negative test from a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. These conditions are in addition to existing requirements.
Case Update: 63 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
Uganda | The international airport will reopen on October 1.
Case Update: 201 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
The United States | On Wednesday, the CDC released a media alert outlining changes to the US government’s Entry Strategy for International Passengers.
Beginning September 14, the government will suspend the requirements that directed flights carrying passengers from certain countries to land at one of 15 designated airports and the extended health screenings for those passengers on arrival. These measures applied to passengers coming from China (excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, the Schengen region of Europe, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), Ireland, and Brazil.
The release says the US government resources will “instead be dedicated to more effective mitigation efforts that focus on the individual passenger, including: pre-departure, in-flight, and post-arrival health education for passengers; robust illness response at airports; voluntary collection of contact information from passengers using electronic means as proposed by some airlines to avoid long lines, crowding and delays associated with manual data collection; potential testing to reduce the risk of travel-related transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 and movement of the virus from one location to another; country-specific risk assessments to assist passengers in making informed decisions about travel-related risk; enhancing training and education of partners in the transportation sector and at United States ports of entry to ensure recognition of illness and immediate notification to CDC; and post-arrival passenger recommendations for self-monitoring and precautions to protect others, with enhanced precautions, including staying home to the extent possible for 14 days for people arriving from high-risk destinations.
Case Update: 31,998 confirmed cases. Last updated: 2020/9/11 10:30 AM CEST
In February, weeks before the US implemented a coronavirus response, EIG attorney Yasmin Mirreh published an article in Law360 — Coronavirus And Immigration: Tips For The Global Employer. Now, in this week’s Immigration Nerds podcast, Yasmin talks about what she’s seen in the last almost seven months, what she hears from clients, and perspective moving forward.
We will continue to send updates daily or as more COVID-19-related news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or in past updates or want to hear more about a different topic, just reply to let us know. If you have specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.