President Biden announced in a statement on November 26, 2021 that he is restricting travel from eight countries in Southern Africa due to concerns over the omicron variant of COVID-19. The new restrictions will be in place as of Monday, November 29th. Impacted countries include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Botswana—all of which were put under a level 4 "do not travel" advisory by the U.S. State Department on Saturday. 

 

Although no cases of the omicron variant of COVID have yet been confirmed in the U.S., the pace at which it appears to be spreading in South Africa and “in light of the extensive cross-border transit and proximity in Southern Africa,” the identified countries has led to this step meant to prevent or slow its spread to the U.S. The presidential proclamation regarding the new restrictions also notes that “in addition to these travel restrictions, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] shall implement other mitigation measures for travelers departing from the countries listed above and destined for the United States, as needed.” 

 

Check your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate website, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, for specific updates on COVID-related impacts to immigration processes or travel.