Last week health officials in South Africa identified a new variant of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has named “Omicron.”  Following the emergence of Omicron, President Biden has imposed new travel restrictions effective November 29, 2021 on most travelers from South Africa and other affected countries in Africa. 

The prohibition applies to those traveling from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The new variant has appeared in other countries as well, which could lead President Bident to add other countries to this list as more details of the Omicron spread emerge. The travel prohibition does not apply to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States. 

Other countries and regions have introduced similar restrictions on travel from affected areas, including the European Union, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, India, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Israel and Japan have implemented temporary bans on travelers from all countries. 

For more information on how these restrictions may impact a specific case, contact your Foster attorney for a travel consultation. Foster will continue to monitor travel restrictions and will make future updates available via the Foster website at www.fosterglobal.com.