notaclue

Hi all,

I’m traveling back to the UK soon for a visit. As many of you know, I live in the USVI, in very close proximity to the BVI.

I am in the BVI pretty much daily.

I have a friend, who may travel UK > US with me. They have no status in the US. They would transit with me, land in the USVI, and then depart the US by sea for onward travel to the BVI, on my boat, with me.

I know how to clear out of the US here, however I’m curious what the protocol may be for them to enter the US at an airport POE if they are purely transiting the US while it is technically closed to a UKC.

The unique element being they are traveling to a US territory and then departing by sea. To me it seems the claim of transiting could be used as a bluff for someone to enter when the US is ‘closed’?

postbox134

The US isn't closed, only if you are physically present in the banned counties in the last 14 days without some kind of exception. I'm also pretty sure that only Great Britain is affected and not overseas territories.

notaclue

Proclamation 10143 appears to still ban travel from the UK.
Four COVID-19-related presidential proclamations now limit entry to the United States by individuals who were physically present in a covered country during the 14-day period prior to their planned entry or attempted entry to the United States.

The Covered Countries

• Brazil
• China
• Iran
• Ireland
• Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland)
• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• India (effective May 4, 2021)

postbox134

Ah misread your question sorry, I assumed they'd be stopped upon attempting to enter to the USVI - either at the gate or when they landed.

christmasoompa

I’m a bit confused, is your friend in the UK? And are you transitting in the US or flying direct from the UK to the USVI?

As said above his nationality isn’t an issue, only where he’s been for the 14 days prior to travelling to the US. If that’s the UK then he won’t be allowed in to the US, even to transit. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/u-s-v...d-travel-faqs/

HTH.

tht

Unless something changed in the last few years the US don’t have “air side” transit like you have in the UK and some other countries. The closest they had was on the air NZ flights LHR-LAX-AKL, for those they would only do immigration (so you still needed ESTA) but they put you in a holding pen (in the US) so that you did not have to unload bags and clear customs. So the answer is they are entering the US if they are “purely transiting”. Also is the USVI not part the US? The flight from the US would be a domestic one with no passport control? So they are not even transiting in the way you would at an international airport. They are entering the US, taking a domestic flight to another part of the US, and then happening to take a non scheduled boat out of the US at a later time. In answer to your question “transiting” can’t be used as a bluff because it’s not a thing here.

notaclue

Sorry just for clarification, I am in the US, and will be visiting the UK.

When I come back to the US, my friend would like to return with me on the same plane.

Landing in the USVI (Still the US), having went through a POE in Florida, we then need to sail to the BVI.

It seems stupid that she take a flight to the BVI via Florida, only for me to fly to the USVI, and sail to the BVI to meet her again….

scrubbedexpat097

Is she a US citizen or Permanent resident ? I thought this was needed to enter the US right now.

christmasoompa

As per the link above, she can't enter the US, even to transit. So the POE in Florida isn't possible.

tht

You are still ll trying to project what you want.

She won't be flying to the BVI via Florida, she can't fly the US, she would have to fly from the UK to a non banned county, stay for 14+ Days/nights and then she could fly to the US and on to the BVI.

Is this the same EU “friend” who had the social/housing issues in June or did she find a way to switch from “ESTA” to her B1/B2 so she could live in the US longer?

notaclue

It is not. That friend has since returned to the BVI. I don’t understand why anyone would want to risk an overstay.

It is absurd that you cannot transit. Hopefully it ends soon. You can’t easily access any Caribbean islands without going via the US sadly.

tht

That should not be a consideration for the US though, safety of our citizens and residents should come first.

People seem to be able to fly to Mexico, are there no flights in to BVI from there ? Did VS and BA stop flying in to BGI? or are they not accepting people from the UK either? I assume they have some sort of inter island services down there or does it all go back up and out from Miami?

notaclue

Pretty much everything is running through the US. Final leg flights are usually out of MIA or SJU.

I know for a concrete fact that they have let ESTA’s in by sea recently so I’ll hop down to USCIS in person and ask, I see them almost every day since I leave the US by sea several times a week.

The unfortunate fact is, you could so so easily enter here and never be caught. Lots of UKC’s here having never crossed a POE.

tht

There is no problem with ESTA’s. The ban is on people who have been in certain countries in the last 14 days before the US.