Office of Immigration ServicesTravel Guidance and Restrictions

Page last updated May 11, 2023

Below, you'll find a select list of mainly U.S.-specific, pandemic-related travel restrictions and guidance, including information on:

• Vaccination & Testing Requirements for Air-Travel to U.S.
• Current U.S. Travel Restrictions Tied to COVID-19
• Current U.S. visa issuance updates
• COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Worldwide

Vaccination

International travelers by air to the U.S. are no longer required to present proof of full vaccination with an acceptable COVID-19 vaccine as of May 12, 2023.

COVID-19 TESTING

Air travelers to the United States no longer need to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery before boarding, as annouced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Pandemic-related regional travel restrictions: 

• There are currently no geographic COVID-19 entry ban proclamations in effect.
  
• Canada and Mexico (land borders only)
  • As of May 12, 2023, international travelers seeking to enter the U.S. via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders are no longer required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request (Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S. at Land Ports of Entry and Ferry Terminals).
  • COVID-19 testing is not required for entry via a land or ferry port of entry.  See the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada federal notices for details, and visit the FAQs for more. 

The US Department of State (DOS) has announced Expanded Interview Waivers for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants (updated December 22, 2022), stating that consular officers may continue to waive, in their discretion, the in-person interview requirement for certain nonimmigrant visa categories through the end of 2023.

• The authorization to waive the in-person interview for applicants renewing a visa in the same classification within 48 months of the prior visa’s expiration was previously authorized to remain in place until further notice.

Announcement of Processing Posts for Visa Applicants from Ukraine: Ukrainian immigrant visas (IVs) other than adoption cases will be processed at Consulate General Frankfurt, including Diversity Visa (DV) and Fianc(é)e (K-1) visas. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw will process Ukrainian adoption cases as well as A and G diplomatic and official visas. Contact KyivIV@state.gov for questions about Ukrainian immigrant and fianc(é)e visa cases. Nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applications may be processed wherever a Ukrainian applicant is physically located and can schedule an appointment. Interested applicants should follow instructions on the respective Embassy website to apply for an NIV. Please find a list of Embassy websites here: https://www.usembassy.gov.

IATA's TravelCentre offers an interactive map to help quickly identify COVID-19 travel restrictions for countries around the globe.