Exchange Visitors: Holiday Travel Information

For any Exchange Visitor planning to travel home for the holidays, here are a few things to consider.

1. Restrictions are still in place for those traveling from many locations, including all Schengen zone countries. This means that you cannot fly directly to the United States from any of these counties (including France). Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more information.
2. If you are not able to return to the United States and/or are outside the United States for more than 30 days, the FACC-NY may have to end your visa program in accordance with U.S. Department of State guidance. By traveling internationally, you accept this risk.
3. You must get approval from your Host Company (and Business France if you are on a V.I.E. contract) to travel.
4. If your DS-2019 is not yet validated for international travel, please reach out to coordinator@faccnyc.org to request a Letter of Support. This letter explains to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, upon your return to the United States, why the DS-2019 is not validated, and temporarily takes the place of the signature. Please note that you will need to provide us with the exact dates of your booked plane tickets.
5. Please check the restrictions and/or best practices for your country of destination before you travel (e.g., negative PCR test results, mandatory self-isolation… etc.) and for your U.S. state of origin upon your return.
6. For V.I.E.s: Please refer to Business France with any questions about their modified travel policy, such as requesting approval, costs associated with travel, insurance, etc.

Please reach out to coordinator@faccnyc.org if you have any questions.

Whether you are traveling or not, we hope you are doing well and staying safe during this holiday season!