The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announced last Thursday (2/11), during a press conference at the National Institute of Health (NIH), that international travelers traveling to the country will now have to present a negative result for Covid-19, in a test carried out no later than 24 hours before departure time, regardless of the country of origin. The measure comes into effect from December 5.
The 24 hours from the time of boarding a direct flight to the American territory or the first flight of a series of connections. At least nine cases of the Omicron variant have already been identified in five states in the USA until this Friday (3) – seven cases more than the day before.
“This is definitely more of a challenge for travelers, but it's understandable that this is happening. These measures are based on evidence, science and facts and provide an additional layer of security for travelers.. It is, yes, an inconvenience for those who want to enter the US, but it is positive for having more security”, explains lawyer Felipe Alexandre, founding partner of AG Immigration – a firm specialized in immigration.
"The measures are also correct in of avoiding a lockdown”, that is, the complete closure of the US border, making it impossible for anyone to enter the country”, he adds.
The decision to require more rigorous testing for travelers was announced along with a package of measures aimed at intensifying sanitary control in the country in view of the expansion of the Ômicron variant. "This tighter window for testing provides a greater degree of protection as scientists continue to study the new variant.", Biden said at the press conference.
In addition, the US government also announced that it will extend the mandatory use of masks on domestic and international travel, on planes, trains and all types of public transport during the winter months of the northern hemisphere (between December and March).
Other measures announced were: provision of booster doses for all adults; sending vaccines to immunize children and keep schools open; expand the availability of home tests to Americans; strengthening rapid response teams to help in areas with the most cases of Covid-19; and sending immunization doses to the international community.
What types of tests are accepted for traveling to the US?
Currently, Brazilians who want to travel to the US must present a negative result for Covid-19 from antigen tests or nucleic acid amplification (NAATs), such as PCR, LAMP, TMA, NEAR and HDA.
What vaccines are accepted for traveling to the United States?
Currently, it is possible to enter the USA after 14 days of having taken the vaccines approved by the US government or the World Health Organization, whether it's a single dose from Janssen/J&J or two full doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Covishield, BIBP/Sinopharm and Sinovac/Coronavac.
About Felipe Alexandre – Immigration Lawyer
Felipe Alexandre is an American/Brazilian immigration attorney and founder of AG Immigration. He has been considered for the last four years by the American Institute of Legal Counsel as one of the top 10 immigration lawyers in New York and a reference on visas and green cards for the USA.
About AG Immigration
AG Immigration is one of the main immigration law firms in the United States, which assists Brazilians throughout the American visa process, with a highly qualified team. Among the professionals is the Brazilian/American immigration lawyer, Felipe Alexandre, who for the fourth consecutive year was included in the list of “Top 10 Immigration Lawyers in the State of New York”. prepared by American.
Street: AG Immigration
