On April 30th, President Biden signed a Presidential Proclamation suspending the entry of certain non-immigrants from entering the US who were physically present in India 14 days preceding their entry to the United States. This Proclamation goes into effect on Tuesday, May 4 at 12:01 a.m. US Citizens, Legal Permanent Residents, and Immigrants are not subject to this order. Additional exceptions can be found on the State Department’s website.

An excerpt from the US Department of State regarding National Interest Exceptions is pasted below:

“The Secretary of State has determined that the travel of the following individuals is in the national interest for purposes of approving exceptions under the geographic COVID Presidential Proclamations, including those subject to restrictions under this Proclamation:

• Students and certain academics covered by exchange visitor programs. Students subject to these geographic COVID proclamations due to their presence in India, China, Iran, Brazil, or South Africa, may qualify for a National Interest Exception only if their academic program begins August 1, 2021 or later. Students with valid F-1 and M-1 visas intending to begin or continue an academic program commencing August 1, 2021 or later do not need to contact an embassy or consulate to seek an individual National Interest Exception to travel. They may enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the start of their academic studies. Students seeking to apply for new F-1 or M-1 visas should check the status of visa services at the nearest embassy or consulate; those applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified for an F-1 or M-1 visa will automatically be considered for a national interest exception to travel.”

Please contact ISSO for any questions you may have regarding how this may impact you.