U.S. to Require Proof of Negative COVID Test for International Travelers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced that a negative Covid-19 test will be required from all air passengers entering the United States.

Under the rule, which will go into effect on January 26, all air passengers will be required to get a test within three days prior to their flight to the U.S., and to provide written documentation of their lab results, or documentation of having recovered from Covid-19 within the preceding three months. The rule will apply regardless of vaccination status and proof of immunization will not be sufficient to exempt a traveler from these requirements.

Airlines will be required to confirm all passengers are in compliance with the new rule prior to boarding, and where a passenger chooses not to take a test or cannot provide documentation of a negative test or recovery, the airline must not permit the passenger to board the flight.

I-9 Compliance During COVID-19 Outbreak

WHAT’S HAPPENING

On January 21, 2020, the United States experienced its first case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, which has since spread to all 50 states with over 8,000 individuals having been infected as of the date of this writing. In response to the rapid spread of the virus, local, state, and government officials have called for the closure of many schools and businesses and encouraged individuals to practice “social distancing”. In order to adhere to the social distancing recommendations many businesses have closed their physical locations and are requiring all or most employees to work remotely.

This situation has led to a host of immigration compliance concerns, one of which is how employers can remain compliant when completing Form I-9 for new hires working remotely, since the I-9 process requires in-person, physical inspection of documentation in the presence of the new employee in order to verify a new hire’s identity and employment authorization.

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