US to Allow Entry for Fully Vaccinated Foreigners Starting Next Month on the 8th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Starting from the 8th of next month, the United States has made it mandatory in principle for non-citizens entering the country by air to be fully vaccinated. However, those under 18 years of age are exempt.

On the 25th (local time), the White House released a proclamation from President Joe Biden containing this information. Accordingly, foreigners must submit proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding a flight to the United States.

The vaccines recognized for vaccination include those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) such as Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen, as well as AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Sinovac, which are recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, the following are exempt from this requirement: △ adolescents and children under 18 △ individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons △ persons with urgent humanitarian reasons. Airline employees, foreign government officials, and their immediate family members are also granted exceptions.

Travelers from about 50 countries with adult vaccination rates below 10% who are traveling for non-tourism purposes are also excluded if they carry government-approved documents. However, they must present a negative test result before boarding the plane.

A senior administration official explained, "Exceptions to the vaccination requirement for non-citizens who are also non-immigrants will be very limited."

This proclamation will apply to passengers boarding flights departing after 12:01 a.m. on November 8. The NYT described the proclamation as "a measure to block entry from most foreigners who have not received vaccines authorized by the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

This policy represents a major shift from the previous approach, which imposed entry restrictions mainly on countries severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, to a vaccination-based standard.

South Korea, which was not subject to entry restrictions before, previously only required a negative test result, but under the new standard, full vaccination is also required.