Important Clarification on Travel Limitations Issued by US Government

THIS POST IS A REPUBLISHED VERSION OF AN EMAIL COMMUNICATION SENT BY AUP PRESIDENT CELESTE M. SCHENCK ON MARCH 12, 2020, ABOUT COVID-19 AND AUP'S RESPONSE. IT IS PART OF OUR SAFETY & SECURITY BLOG THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

Dear AUP Families,

We have just sent the following message to students and faculty.

Last night, President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office regarding the Covid-19 situation and the response and actions being taken by the US government in the immediate wake of Covid-19 being categorized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

It is important to emphasize that the travel restrictions announced by President Trump do not apply to US citizens or US permanent residents. For the next 30 days, entry into the United States is suspended for all foreign nationals who were physically present within the 26 countries of the Schengen travel area (which includes France) during the last 14 days.

Please find below an extract from the official White House communication relating to the new travel restrictions. The policy will come into effect at 11:59pm on Friday, March 13, 2020. You can find the full text of the policy online here.

The policy will not apply to:

1. any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
2. any alien who is the spouse of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident;
3. any alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is unmarried and under the age of 21;
4. any alien who is the sibling of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that both are unmarried and under the age of 21;
5. any alien who is the child, foster child, or ward of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications;

There are numerous additional exceptions to the policy; for the full list, please follow this link.

In President Trump’s address, he inaccurately stated that the US was suspending all travel from Europe to the United States. After the announcement, the Department of Homeland Security clarified that the policy would not bar all travelers arriving in the US from Europe, and that it would not apply to US citizens or legal permanent residents.

A reminder that, yesterday, we launched a webform for all students who wish to return home and continue their studies via remote learning. The University will support all students who choose this option to finish the semester. The webform is available online here.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and it is vital to keep track of news updates and avoid false information and rumor. The University’s Covid-19 Response Team is meeting daily and reviewing the latest information from the French government, the US government, and the World Health Organization. AUP’s Covid-19 information webpage will be updated today with the latest information regarding the US travel restrictions.