What we know about the new travel policies to the United States

This would occur when the US reopens borders 2:13

(CNN) -

Another welcome piece of news for travelers clamoring to enter the United States came Tuesday with the announcement that the land borders with Canada and Mexico will reopen to fully vaccinated visitors in November.

The new policy is closely aligned with the new US international air travel rules announced on September 20.

AMLO: Reopening of the border will be on November 1 1:33

Both measures are due to take effect in November, although no specific dates have been announced.

The plans relax or tighten the existing rules, depending on the country from which an international traveler arrives and their vaccination status.

Here's what we know so far about what the new policies will mean:

Visitors from Mexico and Canada will soon be able to enter by land and ferry

The land and ferry ports of entry will soon be open to tourism, visits from friends and family, and other nonessential travel, as long as visitors are fully vaccinated.

There will be no proof requirement, senior administration officials said.

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That's the first phase of the new policy, which is scheduled to take effect in November.

Those traveling for essential reasons (students and truck drivers, for example) will still be able to cross borders, regardless of their vaccination status, until early January 2022. At that time, a vaccination requirement will go into effect for all incoming foreign travelers arriving by land and ferry.

Currently, air travel from Mexico and Canada to the United States is allowed, with a negative covid-19 test.

Things will tighten up for foreign arrivals in November, when a vaccination requirement is implemented for all international air travelers.

Rules for unvaccinated children are not yet clear

The Department of Homeland Security's announcement on the land borders of Mexico and Canada does not include children, many of whom are ineligible for vaccinations.

Air travel rules for unvaccinated children are also unclear, although unvaccinated Americans will still be able to travel to the US by air, with stricter testing.

The Mexican border celebrates reopening with the US 3:13

White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated Sept. 20 that those rules "at this point obviously would apply to children as well."

It is unclear whether the same rules would apply to unvaccinated children from other countries.

CNN has asked the Department of Homeland Security for clarification.

The door is finally opening for people in countries affected by travel bans

Travel bans implemented at the beginning of the pandemic by presidential proclamations prevent the arrival of foreigners arriving from China, Iran, the Schengen area of ​​Europe, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India.

For the first time in more than a year in many cases, vaccinated foreign nationals who have been in those countries in the 14 days before entering the United States will soon be able to enter with proof of vaccination and a negative covid-19 test taken up to three days before your flight.

Unvaccinated travelers from other countries will no longer be allowed

Currently, a negative COVID-19 test or a COVID-19 recently recovered test allows unvaccinated international air travelers unaffected by travel bans to enter the United States.

New rules scheduled for November will require adult foreigners to present proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to three days before their flight.

Therefore, the door to the United States seems to be closing for unvaccinated travelers from other countries.

As mentioned above, entry for unvaccinated travelers crossing into the US from Canada and Mexico by land or ferry for essential reasons will be allowed until January, when the vaccination requirement will apply to all incoming foreign nationals.

Unvaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents will still be able to enter

Unvaccinated Americans are the exception, at least for air travel.

They will be "subject to more stringent testing requirements," including a test conducted one day before their flight to the United States leaves and an additional test when they return, Jeff Zients, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said when announced the new international air travel rules on September 20.

The announcement on the land borders of Mexico and Canada on October 12 did not specifically address unvaccinated Americans, but the vaccination requirement is directed at "incoming foreign travelers."

CDC defines the meaning of 'fully vaccinated'

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider that people are "fully vaccinated" two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks. after a single dose vaccine.

Some vaccines that are not yet approved for use in the US will be accepted for travel.

• What vaccines are valid to enter the US?

"Last week, to help them prepare their systems, we informed airlines that vaccines that are cleared / approved by the FDA or listed for emergency use by WHO will meet the criteria for travel to the US," they said. the CDC in a statement.

"CDC will release additional guidance and information as travel requirements are finalized later this month."

The agency did not respond to specific questions about land borders or combination vaccines (receiving one dose of two different vaccines), which Canada and other countries offered.

All international air travelers will be required to provide contact tracing information

CDC is ready to issue a contact tracing order that "will require airlines to collect complete contact information for each passenger arriving in the United States and to promptly provide that information to CDC, upon request, to follow up on travelers who have been exposed to variants of covid-19 or other pathogens, "said Psaki on September 20.

The agency has yet to provide additional details on that order.

Americans can travel to Canada and Mexico

Canada recently opened its land border, as well as air access, to vaccinated international travelers.

Mexico has allowed foreign arrivals by air during the pandemic without proof or proof of vaccination.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez, Julia Buckley, Kevin Liptak, Arlette Saenz, Betsy Klein, and Paula Newton contributed to this report.