The U.S. reopened its land and air borders Monday for nonessential travel to visitors from over 30 countries who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Why it matters: Government officials and business leaders had decried the economic impact of the travel ban on border communities in Canada and Mexico, which had been in place since March 2020. The restrictions also separated families across the world.
In Photos
Paso del Norte International Bridge at the U.S.-Mexico border reopened to non-citizens on Nov. 8. Photo: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Family members hold signs as they wait for passengers traveling with British Airways from London at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, on Nov. 8. Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A passenger traveling from London is greeted at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. Photo: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Cars line up at San Ysidro crossing at the U.S. southern border in Tijuana, Mexico, on Nov. 7. Under the new rules, foreign travelers must show proof of vaccination and contact details before flying and get a negative COVID-19 test result within three days of travel. Photo: Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images
Performers entertain passengers at London's Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 on Nov. 8, as thousands of U.K. travelers prepare to depart for family reunions, per Sky News. Photo: Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images
A flight to Chicago O'Hare in the U.S. is displayed on a board at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport on Nov. 8. Airlines have "increased the number of transatlantic flights" and are using larger planes to meet demand, AFP notes. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images
Crew members wave to a Lufthansa Airbus A 350-900 prior to a nonstop flight bound for Miami from Munich Airport on Nov. 8. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Tourists watch the sunset in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, on Nov. 7. Canada reopened its border to fully vaccinated American citizens and U.S. permanent residents in August. Like in Canada, visitors who qualify for travel to the U.S. don't have to quarantine. Photo: Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Homeland Security Border Patrol agents on horseback patrol the area near where the U.S.-Mexico border fence meets the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach, California, on Nov. 7. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional photos.
