01

USA: Vaccinations Required for Green Card Applications

According to the latest requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of October 1, 2021, the COVID-19 vaccine will be required for immigration medical reports (I-693) submitted for adjustment of status (I-485).

This means that as of Oct. 1, both applicants making a change of status outside the U.S. and immigrant applicants adjusting their status in the U.S. must be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

02

Canada: Travel Visa Approval Speeded up

Canada plans to liberalize entry for all international travellers who have been fully vaccinated with a Canadian-approved vaccine for 14 days as of Sept. 7. COVID-19 vaccines currently approved in Canada include those developed by Pfizer, Modena, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

For foreign travellers who have received other vaccinations and do not qualify for exemptions, Canada has not yet officially reopened entry. To coincide with the reopening, Immigration Canada is also speeding up visa approvals. Currently, Immigration has updated the approval time for visitor visas for applications submitted from China - 278 days. This is a qualitative leap from the previous wait time of 418 days.

03

7 Countries Added to UK Travel "Green List"

At 4am on 30 August, the UK's updated entry rules came into force and the traffic light system list was updated once again! Seven more countries have been added to the international travel "Green List", and travellers entering the UK from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, the Azores, Liechtenstein and Lithuania will not be required to self-separate.

In addition, the Embassy in the UK has recently updated the latest regulations on nucleic acid testing on return to China, implementing a system of additional nucleic acid testing and self-health monitoring 7 days before boarding for people departing from the UK for China from 2 September 2021.

04

Australia's National Border Expected to Open in November

Australian Prime Minister Morrison has repeatedly confirmed in recent times that Australians will be able to travel overseas once the two-dose vaccination rate for those aged 16 and over reaches 80 per cent. Officials, averaging state data, believe that Australia will achieve 70 per cent vaccination on October 30 and 80 per cent on November 16. Even at the latest, Australia will be fully 80 per cent vaccinated on December 8.

05

EU Removes US from "Safe List" of Travelers' Origins

The EU Council decided on 30 August to remove the United States from its "Safe List" of places of origin for travellers, following an assessment of the seriousness of the recent rebound of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The European Union regularly conducts scientific assessments of COVID-19 from its source of destination, on the basis of these assessments, updates the "Safe List" of entry restrictions and provides recommendations for guidelines on entry protection against epidemics. The recommendations are applicable to the EU-27, as well as to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, but are not mandatory.

In accordance with the EU Council recommendation, stricter anti-epidemic restrictions should be applied to non-essential travellers from countries and territories outside the "Safe List", while anti-epidemic restrictions should be gradually lifted for non-essential travellers from countries and territories on the "Safe List". They should be gradually lifted.

06

Greece Requires Nucleic Acid Testing to Enter the Country

Permanent residents of the EU and the Schengen area, as well as citizens of 30 countries (including China) are allowed to enter Greece and need to complete the COVID-19 vaccination at least 14 days before travelling to Greece.

And holds a certificate of vaccination in Greek, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian issued by a public health authority; or holds a certificate of negative nucleic acid test within 72 hours or a negative rapid test report within 48 hours; or holds a certificate of recovery from a COVID-19 infection issued by a public health authority and dated within 2-9 months; or holds a digital or paper form of "Green Digital Pass".

07

Turkey Requires Proof of Vaccination or Nucleic Acid Testing

The suspension of incoming flights from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and incoming passengers from the above mentioned countries who are in transit or have travelled to the above mentioned countries within 14 days will be required to provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test within 72 hours prior to boarding and will be subject to 14 days of intensive quarantine upon arrival. Passengers arriving from Afghanistan and Pakistan or who have travelled to the above-mentioned countries within 14 days will be subject to mandatory quarantine for 10 days after entry. Passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, Iran, Egypt and Singapore are required to provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test within 72 hours prior to boarding.

Visitors from countries other than those mentioned above must provide only a certificate of vaccination issued 14 days prior to arrival in the country, or an official certificate of recovery issued 28 days after the first positive test and within six months prior to arrival in the country. Visitors to the country who are unable to provide the above-mentioned certificates must provide proof of a negative nucleic acid test within 72 hours prior to entry or a negative antibody test within 48 hours prior to entry.

08

Tourists Who Have Completed Vaccination and Recovered in Israel are Exempt from Quarantine

According to Israeli media reports, as of October 1, all travelers who have completed a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine outside the country, as well as travelers who are less than five months after completing two doses of the vaccine or less than six months after recovering from COVID-19, will be exempt from quarantine upon entry into Israel.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of 29 June, some 5.95 million of the country's 9.3 million people had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, some 5.47 million had completed two doses, and some 1.96 million had completed a third.

In addition, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced on the 29th that the lower age limit for the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was lowered from 30 years to 12 years. At the same time, as of that evening, all persons in the country who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for more than five months will be able to receive a third booster dose. According to Ministry of Health data, the third dose of the vaccine is 10 times more effective in preventing severe neocon disease than two doses of the vaccine.