Brazil added to list of countries with COVID-19 travel restrictions

Following a recommendation from the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control, the President has suspended the entry of foreign nationals who were present in Brazil during the 14-day period prior to entry to the United States. The restriction went into effect on May 26, 2020, and remains in place until terminated by the President. With this Proclamation, Brazil joins the People’s Republic of China (excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, the Schengen Area (most of Europe), the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), and Ireland in being subject to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The restriction generally does not apply to:

American citizens
legal permanent residents (“green card” holders)
and their immediate families

Certain other narrow classes of travelers are also excepted from the restriction. A detailed list can be found in the Proclamation.

Individuals who have been physically present in Brazil and who are not subject to the restriction may still reenter by going through a process for enhanced medical screenings at specially designated airports. The current list of airports is:

Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS), Massachusetts
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas
Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Michigan
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Florida
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Texas
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Georgia
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York
Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX), California
Miami International Airport (MIA), Florida
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New Jersey
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Washington
Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia

Individuals travelling from Brazil may also “layover” in a non-restricted country for 14 days prior to seeking entry to the United States. Persons opting to do so should be aware that additional travel restrictions can be put in place with little or no notice, and should carefully weigh the risks of doing so and actively monitor for new or changed travel restrictions.

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Brazil, COVID-19, travel restrictions

About Andrew Behnke

Drew is an immigration lawyer who focuses his practice on employment-based inbound, as well as global migration matters. He works with large, multinational enterprises with globally mobile workforces, advising on complex immigration strategies, compliance, and corporate policies. He also works with early phase companies to devise and implement essential immigrant talent solutions for founders and key employees requiring short and long-term immigration strategies.

About Alexa Forte

With more than 20 years of experience in the field of immigration law, Alexa focuses on employment-based immigration, advising domestic and international companies regarding temporary and permanent visas for their foreign national employees. She also assists employers with federal compliance issues in the contexts of corporate restructuring and government audits.

About Kate Drabecki

Kate is a member of the Immigration Group, where she provides counsel on employment-based temporary and permanent visa categories to small and medium-sized for-profit organizations and large multinational companies, as well as on family-based permanent residence applications to individual clients and exclusion/deportation defense. Kate's clients include companies in such industries as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial services, engineering, information technology, and agriculture.