Fully vaccinated Canadians will be allowed to drive into the United States beginning in November, the Biden administration has announced.
The reopening of land crossings will mark the first time in nearly 20 months that the Canada-U.S. border will welcome two-way traffic.
The reopening of the border with Canada coincides with the U.S. government’s plan to allow international travelers from foreign nations to resume travelling to the U.S. on the same timeline, provided they've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Non-essential travel to the U.S. by unvaccinated foreign nationals will remain prohibited, however. As of early January, even essential travelers who are foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. will need to provide proof of vaccination.
Travellers will be considered fully vaccinated if they have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization, which includes Oxford-AstraZeneca, a common vaccine in Canada that never received FDA approval.
The jury is still out on whether travelers who received mixed doses will be eligible, but experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently working on how to address that issue, the officials said.
Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been allowed back into Canada since August, provided they have waited at least 14 days since getting a full course of a Health Canada-approved vaccine and can show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test.
Beginning in early November, the U.S. plans to allow fully vaccinated visitors from a host of countries where stateside travel has long been restricted, including China, India, Ireland, Iran, South Africa, Brazil and the 26 European countries.
