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As of 12:01 am EDT May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. See the CDC travel page for more information
On March 10, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rescinded the Order titled “Requirements for Negative Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test Result or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19 for Aircraft Passengers Traveling to the United States from the People’s Republic of China.”
This rescission takes effect for flights departing to the United States from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Designated Airports*at or after 3:00pm ET (8:00pm GMT) on March 10, 2023...
A Department of State (DOS) final rule published at 88 FR 18243 (March 28, 2023) raises visa processing fees, effective May 30, 2023. (These are the visa processing fees for an entry visa application at an embassy or consulate abroad.) Changes impacting students and scholars or employees:
NIV MRV*, non-petition-based (except E)- changing from $160 to $185NIV MRV* petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q, R)- changing from $190 to $205
The U.S. Department of State announced the publication of an Interim Final Rule that permits designated sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) to digitally sign and electronically transmit the J-1 DS-2019 form, effective April 27, 2023. With this change, sponsors like UC Berkeley can either
print and physically sign paper forms in ink, scan and save them, and electronically transmit them (e.g., via email). OR, sponsors onors may may use digital signature software to sign Forms DS-2019 and then electronically transmit them.
After receiving the DS-2019s electronically, J-1...
On December 28, 2022, stricter testing requirements for international travelers to the US were announced by the CDC as part of a comprehensive strategy to fight COVID-19. The following is an excerpt from the CDC announcement: Starting at 12:01 AM ET on January 5, all air passengers two years and older originating from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be required to get a test (such as a...
On Sept. 8, 2022, DHS announced a final rule that will implement the public charge ground of inadmissibility. The final rule will become effective on December 23, 2022 A noncitizen who is deemed likely to become a ‘public charge,’ meaning that they are likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, can be denied admission or lawful permanent residence (known colloquially as a green card). USCIS has created a helpful...
As of 12:01AM ET on June 12, 2022, CDC will no longer require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight. Information on this change can be found on the CDC’s COVID-19 Testing Recision webpage
On December 28, 2021 President Biden issued A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 10315 which revokes the southern Africa entry ban effective 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on December 31, 2021. Additional information can be found on the Dept of State webpage...