The administration announced extensions of “non-essential” travel restrictions by persons arriving from Mexico and Canada at U.S. land border ports of entry or by ferry, until May 20, 2020, due to COVID-19.
The restrictions apply primarily to those traveling to the U.S. for visits and tourism. They do not apply to air, freight rail, or sea travel, nor to the following persons:
-
- U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States;
- Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States);
- Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions;
- Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the farming or agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Mexico in furtherance of such work);
- Individuals traveling for emergency response and public health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders entering the United States to support Federal, State, local, tribal, or territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other emergencies);
- Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g., truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United States and Mexico);
- Individuals engaged in official government travel or diplomatic travel;
- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the spouses and children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces, returning to the United States; and
The original restrictions were imposed on March 24th and were to expire on April 20th absent this extension to May 20th.