Lion in Winter

Non USCs still are banned from entry, aren't they? With a handful of exceptions.

moi

I have decided to "hold off" going in the next 2/3 months. Bit of a bummer, but what are you going to do. We will wait until things are better and possibly have my mum fly over here when it is over (whenever that will be). My son's HS had a confirmed case within a week of going back to school in person. The virus starts to hit home when you know it can directly affect you or those close to you.

newadventure

We booked a flight back to the UK for Christmas in Feb. We have been following the covid situation over the summer with fingers crossed but are now pretty much resigned to not seeing families for at least another year

Jerseygirl

For those who are considering flying....last March my daughter flew back from the UK. A few days later she was informed that a passenger who was sitting near her had tested positive for Covid. They contacted passengers sat within 3 rows of the sick passenger. The passenger died. I have no idea if he infected anyone on the plane.

jammiie

I realise this is going to be an unpopular view, but we're booked to return home for Christmas and will be risking it, and we may try and even squeeze in another short trip home before then.

We had our first child back in April and with our families all back in the UK, it has been an extremely difficult few months emotionally to the point where our (particularly my wife's) mental health has been suffering. I've been reading a lot of studies on the current safety of air travel and it seems like as with everything, it's about managing your own risk. The horror stories of the "super spreader" flights were all back in Feb/March before the new safety regs were put in place and the mandatory masks, HEPA air filters, and socially distanced seating make me feel comfortable enough to make a journey. I looked at the seat map for a flight from Miami to London this week and there were literally less than 10 passengers on board, so it will be easy to keep a safe distance from others. We can quarantine during our time in the UK and again when we're back in the US so I believe the risk is manageable.

*puts hard-hat on to prepare for inevitable onslaught*

Pulaski

No "onslaught" from me, but your reports of SD on planes and mandatory masks may be wide of the mark, and you won't know for sure until you board the plane. There have been a number of "horror stories" of crowded flights and passengers paying lip-service to mask wearing - taking them off at every opportunity and not replacing them unless asked.

As I posted earlier I am not inclined to fly anyway, but everything I have seen suggests that it is a crap-shoot as to how much SD you get and whether or not your fellow passengers are covidiots who don't buy in to the need for masks. I suspect that the airlines are anticipating a significant increase in passengers for the flights over the Christmas period, compared to the seat map that you saw for this week. But good luck with your choice.

BTW I am puzzled by your quarantine comment - it looks like you think quarantining is risk mitigation (saying "We can quarantine .... so I believe the risk is manageable", you connected "quarantining" to "manageable risk" ), but quaranting won't help you at all, it only reduces the risk of you passing the disease to someone else.

tht

Are you dual UK/US citizens or do you have a green cards? With another wave likely I assume there could be more travel restrictions, and although airlines are giving credits and allowing changes they are tying hard not to give refunds. Even as a dual citizen, all CV-19 concerns aside my other concern now would be traveling somewhere and not being able to get back for an extended period of time, although if you are taking your whole family and have somewhere to stay and can work remotely maybe that’s less of a concern.

jammiie

Even by Christmas, I don't foresee the fights being substantially busier because there are just so few categories of people that can actually travel even if they wanted to.

The last sentence was just poor wording on my part, risk mitigation and quarantine are separate points.

I believe the risk during travel can be mitigated by keeping clear of people, and we are fortunate enough to be able to quarantine upon return to the US without issue.

jammiie

We're both visa holders however we're parents of a USC so we can enter the US freely with the child as the guardians.

RICH

this illustrates part of why I won t travel. Me (most people) not being in the mix helps those who (feel they) have no choice, imo mental health might be one of the only reasons to go anywhere. But it also may not solve the issue.

Tino

No, and they never have been banned from entry.

There are restrictions on non USC/LPRs entry from certain locations (Schengen Area, UK/IE, China, Brazil, Iran) but if you have not been in these countries in the last 14 days then you are allowed entry (providing you meet all other usual entry requirements of course).

Jerseygirl

I didn’t realise having a USC child gave you right of entry to the US.

lansbury

Can you point to the legislation that says that?

If that is so there would be a great many people considered to be in the country illegally, who in fact would be legal.

jammiie

I'm only talking about entering the US in the context of the Covid travel ban, not more broadly.

My L1 visa would currently not permit me entrance to the US from the UK. However, I would be allowed to return if I have my child with me as they are a USC who is under 21 and I am the legal guardian. Sec. 2. Scope of Suspension and Limitation on Entry.

(a) Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply to:

(i) any lawful permanent resident of the United States;

(ii) any alien who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;

(iii) any alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is unmarried and under the age of 21;

petitefrancaise

My kids and I are going round in circles trying to figure out Christmas plans.
Eldest daughter is in Seattle, middle son in Edinburgh and littlest in Ottawa and I'm in Texas...
littlest has to come back at Christmas because her dorms close up so she will have 2 weeks of quarantine ( real quarantine = must stay in dorm room with food delivered to her) when she returns to Canada in January no matter where we all meet up.
Son will have quarantine if he comes back here.
Me and 2 daughters will have quarantine if we go to the UK....

my son hasn't seen any of us since end of February and he's been through a lot - for his mental wellbeing he needs to be with his family.
We've been talking it through and can't come up with a good plan.