In January 2022, foreign nationals crossing over land into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico for work or business will be required to be fully vaccinated.
The new rules from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will amend land-travel restrictions first imposed by the Trump administration in March 2020. Land-border crossings into the U.S. for work and business have generally been considered essential and allowed to proceed regardless of individuals’ vaccination status, but that will change beginning early next year. Foreign nationals traveling to the United States for work and business, including those traveling on H, L and B visas, will be required to be vaccinated and must be ready to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination to enter the U.S.
The Biden administration announced plans last month to rescind the COVID-19 travel bans imposed in 2020 and replace them with vaccination and testing requirements to enter the U.S. on November 8.
All non-U.S. air travelers will need to show proof of vaccination before boarding a flight and will also need to complete pre-departure testing within three days prior to their departure to the U.S. By contrast, foreign visitors crossing a land border should be ready to show proof of vaccination but will not need to show COVID-19 test results. It is still not known exactly when in January the new U.S. rules will take effect.
