DHS to Allow Fully Vaccinated Travelers from Canada and Mexico to Enter U.S. at Land and Ferry Crossings Starting in November

October 14, 2021

DHS has announced that, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts, it plans to amend Title 19 regulations to allow non-essential travelers who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have appropriate documentation to enter the United States via land and ferry ports of entry (POEs) across the U.S. border.

DHS plans to lift the Title 19 restrictions for land and ferry border POEs from Canada and Mexico in two phases:

• In early November 2021, consistent with the rescission of the INA 212(f) COVID-19 entry bans for air travelers, DHS will first allow non-essential travel across the land and ferry borders for fully vaccinated individuals with proof of vaccination, while still allowing essential travel for unvaccinated individuals.
• In early January 2022, DHS will then require all foreign travelers, whether essential or not, to be fully vaccinated with proof of vaccination.

According to the announcement, there will be limited exceptions to these requirements, such as for children. This announcement only applies to regular land and ferry border crossings and does not lift the Title 42 restrictions for irregular land and ferry border crossings.

Until the regulations are specifically changed, the current policy prohibiting “non-essential” travel through land borders remains in effect.

Please continue to check our website, including Travel FAQs for updates.