Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries in the Asia Pacific region have imposed some of the world’s most stringent restrictions on international travel. As countries around the world have begun to eliminate COVID-related entry requirements on international travelers, the Asia Pacific region has been slower to return to pre-pandemic travel norms. However, that trend has now begun to change, as countries across the region have loosened or dropped their vaccination and testing requirements, quarantine procedures, and health screening protocols. Visa-free travel has also resumed for several countries, representing a significant relaxation of COVID-era restrictions.Continue Reading Asia Pacific Countries Join Global Trend in Reducing COVID Entry Requirements
COVID-19
Japan Opens Up More to Foreigners, but Business Visas Still Required
Effective from September 7, 2022, Japan will waive the pre-departure PCR test requirement for triple-vaccinated travelers (currently all travelers entering Japan are required to show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure). Business executives will still need to apply for visas as all visa waivers remain suspended. Tourist and…
CDC Rescinds COVID Testing Requirement for Travel to the US
On June 10, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the rescission of the Order titled “Requirement for Negative Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test Result or Documentation of Recovery from COVID-19 for All Airline or Other Aircraft Passengers Arriving in the United States from any Foreign Country.” This rescission takes effect for flights departing…
Right to Work checks – what are employers now supposed to be doing?
With the regular changes to the UK Right to Work (“RTW”) checks over the last year or so, employers may be forgiven for having lost track of what the latest requirements are.
As mentioned in our last blog on RTW checks (You’re Joking – Not Another One! Further Changes to the Right to Work…
Canada to End Pre-Entry COVID-19 Testing for Vaccinated Travelers
On March 17, 2022, the Canadian government announced that the country will end its pre-entry COVID-19 testing requirement for all fully vaccinated* travelers arriving via land, air, or water, beginning on April 1, 2022.
Canada’s Minister of Health, Jean Yves-Duclos, noted as part of the announcement that “as vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity…
CDC Now Requires COVID Testing 1 Day Prior to Travel to the US
In response to the omicron variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has significantly shortened the time period during which travelers must secure a negative COVID-19 test before traveling to the United States. All air passengers 2 years or older with a flight departing to the U.S. from a foreign country after 12:01am EST on December 6, 2021, are required show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 1 day before travel, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, before they board their flight. Previously, the 1-day rule only applied to unvaccinated travelers, and vaccinated travelers were allowed 3 days before departure to secure negative test results.
Continue Reading CDC Now Requires COVID Testing 1 Day Prior to Travel to the US
Omicron Variant Triggers U.S. Travel Ban from Eight African Countries
On November 26, 2021, in response to the discovery of the omicron variant of the virus which causes COVID-19, the Biden Administration issued a Presidential Proclamation banning the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe during the past 14-day period. This ban comes only 19 days after the U.S. government ended its COVID-19 travel bans worldwide and replaced them with a vaccine mandate for travel to the United States. The Proclamation is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 29, 2021 and does not apply to persons aboard a flight scheduled to arrive in the U.S. that departed prior to 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 29, 2021.
Continue Reading Omicron Variant Triggers U.S. Travel Ban from Eight African Countries
DOL Finds that Pandemic is not Sufficiently “Temporary” for H-2B Program
On November 1, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) found that labor shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic do not qualify as a “one-time occurrence” justifying the hiring of H-2B temporary workers. The H-2B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary non-agricultural positions in the United States. Before hiring an H-2B worker, the employer must file an application with DOL. In particular, the employer must demonstrate that a “temporary” need for foreign workers exists due to: (1) a one-time occurrence; (2) the seasonal nature of the business; (3) a short-term spike in demand (i.e., a peak load); or (4) the intermittent nature of the work.
Continue Reading DOL Finds that Pandemic is not Sufficiently “Temporary” for H-2B Program
Chile Extends COVID-Related Entry & Exit Restrictions
On October 30, 2021, the Chilean government announced another extension of the country’s border closure due to COVID-19, effective through November 30, 2021. However, the extension comes with important modifications to the country’s “Protected Borders Plan,” including relaxed quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers and the addition of the Punta Arenas airport for international travel.
Continue Reading Chile Extends COVID-Related Entry & Exit Restrictions
U.S. Announces Operational Details for Replacement of Travel Bans with Vaccine Mandate on November 8
Effective November 8, 2021, the Biden Administration will rescind the COVID-19 travel restrictions banning most travel from Europe, Brazil, India, China, Iran, and South Africa. In its place, the Administration will impose new COVID-19 prevention protocols on all international air travelers, including those coming from countries not previously impacted by the COVID-19 travel bans. On October 25, 2021, the White House provided specific operational details describing how the program will be implemented and who will — and will not — be impacted by the new rules.
Continue Reading U.S. Announces Operational Details for Replacement of Travel Bans with Vaccine Mandate on November 8