Pres.Biden Says Travel BAN Update Coming Within Days

[Ladybbird]

Biden Urged to End SenselessTravel Bans, Including From Ireland, in New Petition

The American Immigration Lawyers Association is petitioning the Biden administration to end US travel bans, citing increased vaccinations and decreased infections.


U.S. Secretary of Commerce hinted that the travel ban may not be rescinded until after Labor Day, 6 September this year......

Irish Central, 12 JUL 2021.









The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has launched a petition urging President Biden to end travel bans into the US and address backlogs and delays in the US Department of State.

A ban on most noncitizens entering the US from the Republic of Ireland, as well as many other nations, has been in effect in the US since March 2020 when the pandemic began to take hold.

Now, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is calling for the so-called ‘travel bans’ in the US to be rescinded, citing a decrease in cases and an increase in vaccinations across the country.

On its online petition, the AILA writes: “As the U.S. vaccination rates increase, COVID-19 infections subside, and the U.S. is resuming some pre-pandemic activities, it is time for the Biden administration to terminate immigration policies that restrict entry into the United States.

“These policies, which include regional travel bans (Presidential Proclamations 10143, 10199, 9984, and 9992) and Title 42, were enacted under the misguided notion of stopping the spread of COVID-19.

“These travel restrictions enacted by both the Trump and Biden administrations have exacerbated already crisis-level immigrant and nonimmigrant visa backlogs and processing delays at the Department of State (DOS).

“The consequences of not rescinding restrictive policies or addressing visa backlogs and delays will keep families apart longer, impact foreign visitors and students, and impair the ability of U.S. businesses to bring in or bring back foreign talent to fill seasonal and permanent positions, all of which impact our economic recovery from the pandemic.

“Join AILA in urging President Biden to rescind restrictive immigration policies, address visa backlogs and delays at DOS, and reestablish the U.S. as a welcoming nation.

"We encourage you to draw from your personal and professional experience to showcase impacted individuals, families, and businesses.”

To highlight their mission, the AILA has shared the story of one Irish man who, currently living and working in the US on a visa, is facing a dilemma as the health of his mother at home in Ireland is deteriorating.

"Right now, President Biden is more focused on being seen as 'tough' on COVID-19, even though that results in scapegoating 'immigrants' like his predecessor," immigration lawyer Matthew Maiona writes.

"Rather than implementing rational and necessary prevention methods based in science to protect our health and economy, the Biden Administration maintains senseless travel bans. The resulting impact harms families like Liam’s that are torn apart by arbitrary restrictions."

In 2020, as coronavirus began to take hold globally, President Trump announced the ban on some international travelers on March 12. Two days later on March 14, the Republic of Ireland was added to the ban.

On January 25 this year, just days after his inauguration, President Biden issued his own proclamation which continued the travel ban for most noncitizens entering the US who have been in the Republic of Ireland, among other nations, in the previous 14 days.

In recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo hinted that the travel ban may not be rescinded until after Labor Day, September 6 this year.

Speaking during a webinar hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Raimondo said: "I can promise that getting business travel and international travel going again is a top priority."

"I'm doing everything I can as an advocate to open key corridors for business travel internationally," Raimondo said, adding "I'm hopeful that post-Labor Day we will see a nice uptick in business travel and international travel."

[Ladybbird]

Biden Says Update on Travel BAN Coming "Within The next Several Days"

When will the US end its travel ban on arrivals from Ireland? President Biden says his team is working on it and wants to have an update soon.

Irish Central, 17 JUL 2021.






US President Joe Biden has stated the United States will review its travel restrictions on European tourists, including those from Ireland, in the coming days.


President Biden said conversations are underway with his COVID team "of how soon we can lift the ban" on most noncitizens entering the US from Europe, including the Republic of Ireland.

"And I’ll be able to answer that question to you within the next several days," Biden said,

"I’m waiting to hear from our folks in our COVID team as to when that should be done."

The question on the European travel ban was put to the President towards the end of a press briefing alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on Thursday.



A ban on most noncitizens entering the US from the Republic of Ireland, as well as many other nations, has been in effect in the US since March 2020 when the pandemic began to take hold.

However, most European countries have now relaxed restrictions for American tourists traveling to Europe and had hoped that the US would reciprocate.

According to Reuters, numerous countries that are currently not banned from entering the US have far higher infection rates than the ones that are currently subject to the US travel ban, such as Ireland and the UK.

A White House official told Reuters last week that "there are further discussions to be had before we can announce any next steps on travel reopening with any country.

"We want to ensure that we move deliberately and are in a position to sustainably reopen international travel when it is safe to do so."

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also wants airlines to introduce international passenger contact tracing as part of any plans to lift travel restrictions.

Reuters reports that airlines and some government officials do not expect travel restrictions to be lifted until August at the earliest.

Meanwhile, from Monday, July 19, fully vaccinated US tourists traveling to the Republic of Ireland will not need to provide proof of a negative PCR test and will not be required to quarantine, a major scaling back on entry requirements.

However, any passenger traveling from the US without valid proof of vaccine must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken at most 72 hours before arrival in Ireland, self-quarantine, and undergo post-arrival testing.

All people arriving in the Republic of Ireland - regardless of origination or vaccination status -will continue to be required to complete Passenger Locator Forms.

Referencing Ireland's upcoming new travel protocol, Ireland's Ambassador to the US Daniel Mulhall said on Friday:

"It would be good to see reciprocal moves from the US authorities to allow fully vaccinated visitors to enter the US."



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