The COVID19 pandemic created complications for a lot of Americans. In March 2020, around 13,500 Americans reached out for help in returning to the US. Though that’s more than a year ago, some Americans are still stuck abroad. One of the main reasons why some Americans can’t go back is because of their expired US passports. In most countries, personal appearance is required to have passports renewed. However, some embassies remain closed due to the pandemic.
Some Americans have spent on immigration lawyers for help while others remain helpless abroad. To solve the problem, the US State Department announced on May 24, 2021 that travelers with expired US passports overseas can enter the US.
US passports expired on or after January 1, 2020, can be used until December 31. However, certain conditions should be met. For one, US passport holders can only fly directly to the US. Connecting flights to other countries will not be allowed. Also, US passports should’ve been originally valid for 10 years for an adult and 5 years for a child. And lastly, the passport should be unaltered and undamaged.
Those who are flying to the US will have to present a negative COVID test 3 days before the flight. They can also show proof that they’ve recovered within three months.
The US State Department announced that this move was meant to “alleviate difficulties and unprecedented appointment backlogs created by the global COVID19 pandemic”.
Aside from repatriation, the state department is also focused in preventing the entry of variants. The majority of countries worldwide are currently included in Level 4: Do Not Travel List. One of the more recent announcements from the state department is its warning against traveling to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics. And last month, the US announced that citizens and permanent residents in India should go back to the US. This announcement was made after India’s healthcare facilities have been overwhelmed after the recent COVID surge.
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