U.S. To Open Borders, But Land-Border Traveler Vaccine Mandate Coming

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it will reopen the nation’s land borders with Canada and Mexico to fully vaccinated travelers in November, even if those travelers are crossing the border for nonessential reasons. (The border already had been opened for essential travel.) Unvaccinated travelers still will not be able to cross the borders by land.

The new policy will take effect November 8, 2021.

A few days after the DHS announcement, the White House said that foreign national air travelers must provide proof of being fully vaccinated to be eligible to fly to the United States. Fully vaccinated travelers will also be required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of travel prior to boarding. That policy also will take effect November 8.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents will enforce the new land-border policy. Unlike air travelers, travelers entering the United States by land will only need to attest to vaccination status — though CBP officers will be able to ask individuals for proof of vaccination.

According to Politico, that likely will change early in 2022. In January, the federal government is expected to impose a blanket vaccination requirement for all non-U.S. citizens crossing land borders, no matter their reason for entering the country. There will be no COVID-19 testing alternative, meaning businesses that rely on moving products from Canada or Mexico into the United States will need to ensure their employees are fully inoculated.

It is still unclear which vaccines will qualify travelers to enter the United States. That decision will be made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where officials have indicated that people who have received vaccines authorized by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or by the World Health Organization will be eligible to enter the country.