End of the US Travel Ban

The US government has lifted the area-wide COVID-19-related Travel Ban. Persons fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are allowed to travel to the USA again.

Who is allowed to enter the USA?

Persons who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may travel to the United States. Exemptions from the vaccination requirement for US travel apply to:

• US citizens Green Card holders
• Diplomats, government officials, and their family members traveling in visa categories A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, E-1 TECRO/TECO, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, and NATO 1 - NATO 6, and representatives of the UN
• Crewmembers (air or sea lines) traveling in visa categories C-1/D
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses and children (under 18 years of age)
• Children under 18 years of age
• Individuals who have an official waiver from the US government due to a medical or humanitarian emergency
• Individuals whose entry is in the National Interest of the United States ("National Interest Exception")
• Participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials with official proof of eligibility
• Nationals of countries with limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines entering with certain visa categories
• Individuals who have an officially confirmed COVID-19 vaccine contraindication medical condition

For more details on the regulations and exemptions, visit USA Travel and Corona.

Which vaccines are accepted?

According to new White House entry regulations, travelers are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or listed on the WHO emergency list. Thus, approved vaccines are:

• Pfizer/BioNTech
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson
• AstraZeneca
• Covishield
• BIBP/Sinopharm
• Sinovac
• Covaxin

Cross-vaccination is also considered a complete vaccination. Proof should be provided via a digital vaccination certificate with a QR code, but an official paper vaccination certificate will also be accepted. We strongly recommend clarifying the desired form of proof with your airline before a flight.

Will mandatory testing remain in place?

Effective June 12th, 2022, the United States has lifted the mandatory COVID-19 testing for travelers from abroad. However, the general vaccination requirement against COVID-19 remains in effect.

In addition, there are certain post-entry testing and quarantine recommendations and additional obligations for groups allowed to enter unvaccinated.

ESTA for US travel

You already have your flight ticket and vaccination certificate at hand? Before you start packing your suitcase full of anticipation, remember: one thing is still missing! If you are not a Green Card or visa holder, you will need an ESTA travel authorization for the USA.

An ESTA application takes only a few minutes and can be done easily online. If you want to be on the safe side, you can get professional assistance from an agency.

ESTA with The American Dream

The team of experts at The American Dream looks back on 25 years of experience in dealing with the US authorities and knows all the details and pitfalls in the ESTA application. Our advisors are at your side with help and advice so that your application is guaranteed to be received by the US authorities without any errors.

Benefit from the following advantages:

Government-licensed immigration consultants

Founded in 1996 in Berlin, our Green Card agency can look back on 25 years of experience in terms of travel and immigration to the USA. The team members of The American Dream are government licensed immigration consultants in accordance with the German Emigrant Protection Act (§1 from the version of March 12th, 2013).

Concise application form

Our concise online application form is designed to be easy to understand and will guide you step-by-step through the application process so that completing it will be a breeze.

Thorough data check

Our experts additionally review each ESTA application for accuracy and completeness. If there are any inconsistencies in your application or data is missing, our customer support team will contact you before the application is submitted to the US authorities. This way, you can be sure that your application will not be rejected due to minor (formal) errors.

Notification service

Once your ESTA application has been submitted, you can sit back and relax. We will check the status for you and send you a confirmation via email as soon as your application has been approved.

Money-back guarantee in case of denial

Depending on the package chosen, a fee starting at € 49.90 will be charged for the ESTA service from The American Dream. This already includes the costs for the US authorities ($ 21 in total).

If you submit your ESTA application to the US authorities yourself, they will retain a processing fee in case of rejection. With the Premium or First Class rate from The American Dream, on the other hand, you will receive a full refund if your application is not approved.

Your ESTA application has been approved? Great, you can pack your bags now – we wish you a wonderful time in the United States!

Sources:
whitehouse.gov