As we confirmed in our last advisory, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that non-citizen travellers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have appropriate documentation will be permitted to enter the United States via land ports of entry (POE) and ferry terminals starting on November 8, 2021. This shift eases long-standing restrictions on non-essential travel, consistent with public health guidance. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has now released further details related to the November 8th land border reopening for non-essential travel. Starting November 8, when arriving at a U.S. land POE or ferry terminal, non-citizen travellers should be prepared to (1) provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, as outlined on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website; and (2) verbally attest to their reason for travel and COVID-19 vaccination status during a border inspection. U.S. CBP will accept digital and paper copies of provincial and territorial vaccination receipts. In accordance with CDC guidelines, international travellers will be considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
- 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series COVID-19 vaccine; or
- 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.