Published on March 30, 2021
On April 30, President Biden announced that the United States would restrict most travel from India beginning on Tuesday, May 4 at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT). The U.S. government has confirmed that the proclamation does not apply to persons aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the United States that departed prior to12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 4, 2021.
The travel ban comes after the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory for India on April 28, 2021, urging U.S. citizens not to travel to the country and to return to the U.S. as soon as possible, in light of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Individuals who wish to depart India should take advantage of available commercial transportation options. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/india-travel-advisory.html
The U.S. Embassy in India has also canceled all visa interviews until May 15th amidst the surge in COVID-19 cases in India. All visa appointments, both in-person and interview-waiver appointments, at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are canceled until at least May 15th. Emergency services for U.S. citizens and limited emergency visa appointments will still be available.
As background, U.S. consular operations around the world remain limited and are subject to change depending on local conditions due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. continues to bar entry to most foreign nationals who have been physically present in Brazil, China, Iran, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the Schengen Area within 14 days prior to entering the country. These regional COVID-19 entry bans do not have an expiration date and will remain in effect until President Biden lifts or modifies them. In addition, all travelers flying to the U.S., including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, must provide documentation of a negative viral COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel or evidence of recovery from a recent COVID-19 infection.
U.S. Consulates in India and other countries continue to operate at reduced capacity, and applicants should expect significant delays in obtaining visa appointments. If you are currently in India, please notify your immigration team at Ryan Swanson immediately. We strongly advise against any travel to India or other countries subject to the regional COVID-19 travel bans imposed by the U.S. at this time.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Immigration Attorneys at Ryan Swanson.
Cody Nunn can be reached at [email protected].
Amy Royalty can be reached at [email protected].
Jen Chen can be reached at [email protected].
Marsha Mavunkel can be reached at [email protected].
Janet Cheetham can be reached at [email protected].
Joel Paget can be reached at [email protected].
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This message has been released by the Immigration Group at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC to advise of recent developments in the law. Because each situation is different, this information is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice on any specific facts and circumstances. Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a full-service law firm located in Seattle, Washington.
