How can I still fly to my home country during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 travel ban?
Although it seems that all international travel has been shut down during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Crisis, there are still international flights to and from certain international airports designated by the Department of Homeland Security. Those airports include the following:
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York;
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois;
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California;
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii;
- Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX), California;
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Georgia;
- Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia;
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New Jersey;
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas;
- Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Michigan;
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Massachusetts; and
- Miami International Airport (MIA), Florida.
Since there is a very limited number of international flights available, it is very important to reserve a spot on a flight while they are still available. While it is possible to apply for extension of B visitor visa status, visitors under ESTA/Visa Waiver Program cannot extend their status unless Customs and Border Protection approves an emergency 30-day extension called "Satisfactory Departure". I spoke with CBP officer at our local district office in Tampa, Florida, and he said that, for now, they are not approving Satisfactory Departure extensions because visitors can still arrange to fly home from the above-mentioned designated airports. Therefore, I recommend that visitors under the ESTA/Visa Waiver Program not wait until the last minute to make return flight arrangements or to assume that CBP will approve a 30-day Satisfactory Departure extension, since CBP might not.
Failure to depart before the expiration of the stay under the ESTA/Visa Waiver Program will result in automatic termination of the ability to visit the U.S. under that program. The person will then have to apply for a tourist visa at the U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country, and their application will likely be denied, since the consular officer will likely conclude that the person could have departed prior to the expiration date if he or she had conducted proper research and found a solution for departing from the U.S. on time. Please note that you do not need to fly directly to your home country, since it suffices that you just depart from the U.S. before the expiration of your authorized stay in the U.S. It then becomes important to research whether there is a travel ban in the third country, whether there are still flights from the third country to your home country or to a near-by country from which you can find transportation to your home, what the requirements are to enter the third country and whether you will be required to go straight into a mandatory quarantine. The bottom line is that prompt and thorough research to plan your return trip home is essential.