TRAVEL NEWS

US Travel: So Where Is The Plan For Vaccinated Travelers?

Now, about that US plan for opening borders to all vaccinated travelers, President Biden? Much talked up at the beginning of the month, the whole thing has since fallen into a big, seemingly bottomless pit of silence.

Worse, rather than move to lift the travel ban – and reopen to Europeans and others – the US has just re-closed its border on Canadians. At least for non-essential travel. Indeed, the curbs at both the Canadian and Mexican land borders will continue for at least 30 days. That’s through until September 21.

Far from reciprocity for Canada, the US has snapped those borders shut again. A political backflip of the likes I’ve never seen.

Ongoing Ban On Essential Travel: But What Exactly Is Essential?

What exactly is non-essential? It’s been a capricious and arbitrary definition for months. Who decides on the urgency of personal reasons for travel? And why should some travelers take precedence over those with pressing family and other personal reasons to travel?

Deborah Williams, a travel writer, is part of a group called “Families are Essential”. It’s made up of some 3,000 Americans and Canadians whose lives have been torn apart by the closed US-Canada border.

“More than a year ago, Canada made exceptions for families and couples,” she says. “Then, on August 9, all vaccinated and tested Americans were allowed to cross into Canada by land or air.

“From September 7, everyone else will be allowed in. Meanwhile, the US has done absolutely nothing!

“Unless you live on the border, it is impossible to understand how intertwined our lives are. My life is much more connected to Canada than any neighboring US state.”

Meantime, says US congressman Brian Higgins, the economy is suffering too.

For How Much Longer Will The US Ban Europeans, Other Vaccinated Travelers?

So many travelers are longing to get to the US – to travel, to see long-lost lovers, friends, and families. Or to do business. But the US continues to shut out vaccinated travelers. At least some – from Canada, Europe, and Mexico for a start. While letting in unvaccinated travelers from some 160 countries.

Could anyone please explain to me quite simply why the US border remains closed to any vaccinated traveler? And why does it single out some nations yet lets in unvaccinated travelers from others? And if you work it out, please let me know. For no announcements are forthcoming on the matter. Indeed, no explanations whatsoever.

The lack of reasoning has many people scratching their heads. One is Spanish travel agent, Julio Piñeiro Fernández. “I’m waiting desperately to see Mr. Biden open borders. What the hell are they waiting for?… I am a travel agency owner who can not sell the destination because of the stupid rules.”

With one trip to NYC already canceled, a year later, he still can’t plan with any certainty.

The U.S. Travel Association is also questioning the inaction.

“We believe there is a data-driven, science-based approach to reopening international inbound travel. We have seen other countries, our competition, set timelines. We should be a leader in this regard.” Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Association.

Millions Of Lives In Limbo

It’s really not fair to leave people in the lurch like that. Actually, it’s pretty shoddy. Imagine how many millions of people are affected by such ongoing bans. And the nitty-gritty details of every one of their stories – the large number of which go unheard.

“I have not seen my fiancé for 18 months!” says Riddhi Jani, a researcher at the Institut Curie in Paris. “There is absolutely no logic behind this travel ban! Even as a research scientist, I don’t feel it has any scientific grounds.”

I will continue to go into bat on this issue. Quite simply because I find such ongoing bans absurd, politically capricious, and inhumane.

* UPDATE: As the US lags endlessly on lifting the ban, The EU is toughening up on unvaccinated travelers with new bans on Americans. Fair play and lack of reciprocity has come into this. But most European countries are still open to vaccinated US travelers without extra rules. Logic, sense and safe travel policies reign.

34 Comments

  1. Annabell

    I agree, there is no such damn thing, that they still keep the boarders shut! I wait since last year that i can travel in! They promised us, when we got the shot twice, we can travel back to the USA! Nothing is happening until now.

    2. Tasopoulou Eleni

      I have my better half in the USA we been living together for the last 5 years his job was overseas but due to covid had to go back home. I am from Greece so I did my Esta visa my vaccine stratification and my covid test also my airport tickets with a return date. When I did my Esta No one told me that I couldn’t visit America as a tourist had to find out the hard way at the airport….burst in to tires stress and disappointment my airport ticket was bought from my fiance in America from United airlines they also didn’t say anything. Hope soon the open the borders because our lives are with hold back and we have to safer it is not fair…

  2. Yannick

    Thank you for your article. As you mention, many of us cannot travel to the US and our story will remain unheard. Tourism, love, business. These are the 3 aspects of traveling always mentioned when referring to the travel ban. And how about those who, like me, are awaiting their working visa to go and occupy the job we have been studying for, applying for, passed interviews for, bet our future on… to finally see our visas refused at the US Embassy because we do not (arbitrarily) qualify for National Interest Exemption (NIE). Why arbitrarily? Because some apply for a NIE and are given it. Others, employed by the same company, for the same job, aren’t considered NIE at the exact same Embassy. Why? Because of the outdated, third world like US immigration system and exterior politics. This is taking too long now. They wanted us vaccinated? We have been. It is really taking a toll on us. Our lives are shattered. The future we were so happy about? Ruined. Is it just on hold for now, or completely a lost cause? We don’t know. And why? Because one single person doesn’t feel like it. Because he has a grudge for someone, and consequently decides that he doesn’t feel like opening borders. The result? Some of us losing a big life changing job opportunity. Couples who give up. And worse, family members who lose some of their loved ones without being allowed to say goodbye.

    1. Tamara Thiessen

      Oh Yannick. Where To start. Thank you for writing in and I’m so sorry you are going through this. I do not understand why Biden would want to do so much damage to US Europe relationships. And why he seems so indifferent to the damage he is doing, and the hurt and the pain of thousands. Is your job on hold for you? If so hold out … it will end. But gee why the agonising unnecessary wait indeed.

      1. Yannick

        Thanks Tamara. My job is on hold for now. I will be an elementary teacher in a dual language (Spanish and English) immersion program. This year is the second year my visa is sponsored, my petition approved by USCIS, but denied at the Embassy because the consular agent doesn’t feel like being a teacher in a very high critical shortage area (schools struggle to find bilingual elementary teachers in the whole country) should be considered National Interest. Oh but wait… Teachers in the same area as mine, for the same school district, who are on a different visa (J1), are indeed considered NIE. And those on H1B renewing their visa, for the same job and employer as mine are also considered NIE. But H1B visas for new employment are considered NIE only on the mere discretion and mood of the consular agent on the day of the appointment at the Embassy. Why are some visas considered NIE and others aren’t, for the same position, same employer? Nobody knows. Just the random USA way of doing things. So yes, my job is on hold because, thankfully, bilingual elementary teachers are critically needed. But man, the uncertainty and agonishing wait is painful!

  3. Marian

    From Spain:
    My only son has been an American citizen since April, he gets married at the end of October in Colorado. If US do not open the borders, I will have to travel to Mexico and spend two weeks to be able to go to my son’s wedding. This is inhumane, the family is not tourism Mr Biden.

  4. Janique

    My god we’ve postponed our trip to the USA twice and are praying that we’ll be able to visit in October. If that’s not possible it will be hard for us cause we’ll lose thousands of euros and we’ll habe to ask the head of education for approval since our daughter will be to old to stay away from school outside the holidays. So I’m praying and stressing so hard every day. Checking every available news source to see if there’s any news. How I wish a democrat as Biden would think about their economy. We travellers bring in a lot of money and are fully vacinated because we want to get our freedom back.

    1. Tamara Thiessen

      Oh Janique. Yes the economic losses are great. But the human ones even more so. Economy can catch up. All these lost moments … including momentous ones, not. I’m praying for you that sense will at last prevail 🙏 Sense and fairness.

  5. Heather

    My partner is in England, I’m in the US. We haven’t seen each other for 9 months… I can’t afford to keep using my savings/risking losing my job to go over there to visit… we had planned on him coming here this summer (he has summers off as he is a University lecturer) so that we could map out our future together… maybe he would even apply to jobs in the US… all of that has been cancelled. We can’t even get married or even rent a flat together because we can’t live on one income, plus the visa backlogs, etc. We need to see each other in person while we continue to work and save money and wait. These bans make no sense- there has to be some other ulterior motive for it. As usual if you’re not rich and powerful you get screwed.

    1. Tamara Thiessen

      Hey Heather! I just want to say boo hoo… and I mean it. A big loud and anguished sob for everyone in this position… including me looking on to the extraordinary situation home (I think it’s still home) in Australia. And yes, the hypocrisy over who gets in or not is clamouring.

  6. Salvador Camacho

    I,m a Travel Agency owner in Spain, with many traverlers yearly to US.
    It’s very difficult understand what are the reasons of the actual closure of US borders for vaccinated pax from EU.
    We have best vaccinated rates than the US, and I am sure that we will achieve vaccination levels that the US will not achieve because of our confidence in vaccines.
    Like other countries, I can understand the requirement of a PCR test to enter the country, as an additional security measure, but in no case the total closure of borders.
    The incidence rate of the Delta variant is similar in both areas, and I am sure that it is technically very easy to verify the EU vaccination certificates.
    What is the true and hidden reason for this closure?
    I can’t understand.

    Salvador Camacho
    ON BOARD TRAVEL, Granada, Spain

    1. Tamara Thiessen

      Hi Salvador thanks for sharing your experience and insights despite the negativity of it. I’m totally with you on all counts and do not understand either. Other than to say, as we can see now on other fronts- Biden is not exactly calling the great shots and making the best decisions. Judgement problem?

  7. Yannick

    Please do write on this and feel free to reach out. I have plenty of tangible examples. For instance, last year, under thee visa ban, some of my fellow teachers from Mexico had to apply for their visa and National Interest Exemption. Some of them were given it at the US EMBASSY in Mexico DF. Others went to Monterrey and Guadalajara US Consulates and were denied it. They then scheduled an appointment a the Embassy in Mexico DF and were given it. Visas and NIEs are given randomly.

  8. Elaine

    We have had to postpone our trip to Florida to visit our son and family many times. We haven’t seen our granddaughter since she was 6 weeks old and she is now over 2.

    Every day I search for snippets of news that the USA will open its doors. We are due to travel 1st October and are so desperate looking to launder in Mexico or Barbados fir 2 weeks. Non sensical as Mexico rates are higher than Uk.

    1. Tamara Thiessen

      This is exactly the crazy situation Elaine – and another heartbreaking story. I haven’t seen my mum who is nearly 81 since she was 79. Life is fleeting by and people are being deprived of the things we live for. I hope things change soon – will the EU move put pressure on US now? Doubt it.

      1. Nina

        This has gone long enough, makes zero sense to still have a ban specially on fully vaccinated people from the EU and still let other unvaccinated people from other countries go in. My fiance an Italian investor for the US was denied for his E1 visa renewal, he has many businesses and employees but for his type of business is not considered a “national of interest”, Like Yannick said it depends on the mood of the person that you see in the embassy. The same day at the Rome embassy where my fiance had his interview a table down there was a waiter renewing his visa and he got approved while my fiance got denied. Still up in the air, now he has to consider the possibility of entering through another country in order for him to go back to where he has his businesses and residency, it’s unbelievable.

  9. David M

    Great article.
    The real frustration is having no explanation of the strange logic behind the ban. At least if we understood that, we could maybe know what signs to look out for.
    Anyone remember Joe Biden’s tweet from 13 March 2020?
    “A wall will not stop the coronavirus.

    Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it.

    This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it.”

  10. Danielle

    It’s beyond frustrating! Not only the impact on families and businesses but also the ban on people who own property in the US! We haven’t been able to go back to our condo since we left in February 2020 and yet we get to pay maintenance and taxes. Biden is using the same protectionist playbook implemented by Trump. If he says one more time “we have to listen to science” I am going to scream……

  11. Kris Kozyrski

    This is crazy for U S to be closed for so long , people has to see there families I have no idea what’s the problem and who is making the final decision but president Biden have to wake up and bring our lives to normal because we do need to see our family from Europe.

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