COVID Vaccination Policy for International Students Travelling to the US

Astravel restrictions ease for international students in the US, universities have announced various vaccination requirements in order to let students join their campus. Indian students enrolled in 2022-23programs at US universities will soon start planning their travel,

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently eased border restrictions for more than 100 countries, enabling international students to return to campus. However, with new Covid-19 variation, Omicroncropping up, universities in the US are putting in place cautious measures towards international students enrolled in Fall 2021 courses.

Vaccines Approved by US Universities

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has so far approved a total of eight vaccines, including the following:

• AstraZeneca

• Covaxin

• Covishield

• Pfizer/BioNtech

• Moderna

• Sinopharm/BIBP

• Sinovac

• Novavax/Covovax

The WHO has authorised all of the abovefor emergency use within the US.

According to the data by The Chronicle of Higher Education, over 400 US colleges and universities have asked students to get fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the Fall term. While some have specified the names of vaccines theyd allow, some have said any FDA- or WHO-approved vaccine will be considered acceptable.

Also Read: Timeline for Spring 2022 Intake to Study in USA

Quarantine Measures Adopted by US Universities

On arrival in the US, international students may or may not have to undergo quarantine depending on the university or US state. Check out the quarantine measures put in place by US universities:

• Students would have to self-quarantine, stay at time or in their hotel room for a full seven days, even if they test negative. The same shall be carrried out unless they have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days.

• Although the US has eased travel restrictions for international travellers, international students with a non-US approved vaccine would be required to quarantine for a specific period of time before joining the campus and classes.

• Also, apart from quarantine guidelines issued by CDC, the US colleges and universities may also have their specific set of quarantine rules and facilities in place. International students may further need to follow state and local requirements as well.

• Some institutions like the Florida Institute of Technology have not created separate quarantine policies specific to the institute. They have asked students to only follow CDC guidelines and any specific requirements based on their home country before they join the campus.

• The American University has said that quarantine shall last for at least 14 days, regardless of the COVID-19 test result.

Also Read:Know All About Travel and Vaccination Requirements

Modes of Learning for 2022 Intakesin the US

With all domestic students in the US already fully-vaccinated, more universities in the US are more likely to go back to normal and shift back to in-person learning. Given below are the latest updates on the modes of learning applicable to international students in the US for 2022 intakes:

• For international students not/unable to get fully vaccinated, US universities may ask them to register for remote learning. They will have options for both in-person and remote learning with safety measures in place as issued by CDC.

• International students unable to travel to the US because of difficulty in getting a visa appointment or travel/vaccination requirements, personal health issues, etc. may request for remote learning. However, this would depend on the university and the course.

• Other US institutions may allow in-person classes for unvaccinated students or those in the process of getting fully-vaccinated, only if they comply with the campus COVID-19 policies. The same will be ensured through regular surveillance testing once or twice every week.

• Given the current uncertainty regarding COVID-19, Florida Tech and many other universities have announced that they have prepared to move seamlessly from one mode of instruction to another as public health conditions demand.

Still have doubts about vaccination requirements for entry to the US? Write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com and have all your doubts cleared by admissions experts.