With over 11.3M total COVID cases in the USA and about 247k deaths as of 17 Nov 2020, international travel has become next to impossible.
The number of cases is undoubtedly high, but emergency travel cannot be avoided.
Traveling is inevitable, and so is security. Keeping in mind the importance of your healthy being,
we have combined every bit of information that you might require during your air travel from India to the USA.
Follow this guide till the end for safe travel after you have booked flights from India to the USA:
Eligibility for booking India to USA flights
If you are planning to book flight tickets from India to the USA, you must lie in the following category:
(a) If you have an Indian passport with a valid USA visa.
(b) All US citizens or green card holders.
(c) Foreign nationals with US visas and also legal permanent residents of the US
Who are all Ineligible to book Flights from the USA to India?
If you are an Indian citizen and are seeking to book your flights from India to the USA for higher studies, things might not be that easy.
Such F1 visa holders will not be able to take up flights from India to the USA in the following cases:
(a) If the F and M visa has a less than six months validity from the date of departure.
(b) For the new joiners who have not joined the educational institution before the outbreak
These conditions are set because educational institutions are not open.
However, in case they are, you can take up affordable flights for the dates that are close to the opening date.
Flights to the USA from India for Students
The students who have been studying in the USA and have booked their flights prior to the lockdown in India can take up the flights as per their institution’s operational status.
If the schools are open, you can check for their policies for the international students and make your arrangements accordingly.
You will also have to carry valid proof for your school’s operational status for booking flights from India to the USA; else, you might not be allowed onboard in the outbound flights.
Valid B1/ B2 Visa Travelers
All the visa holders, be it B1/ B2, H4, H1, L1, F1, etc., are permitted to travel to USA from India. The only condition that applies is that the VISA’s validity should be at least three months from the date of departure.
However, F1 study visa, L1, and H1B visa should have a validity of one month in order to take flights from India to the USA.
There have been certain speculations for HB1 visa workers, but all these have been ended. These include:
(a) The meeting of CBP officers instead of USCIS at the entry in the USA
(b) Confirmation from the employers in the USA for those possessing H1B VISA, but, this happens once in every 1000 cases.
List of Airlines offering Air Travel to the USA from India
Air India is the major passenger carrier in the country, has been offering international flights to the USA from different airports.
These cities include Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc. Other airlines offering cheap air tickets from India to the USA are Emirates, United, Etihad, and Lufthansa.
COVID-19 Test Mandatory
In most of the airlines traveling with RT-PCR reports is not compulsory.
Etihad and Emirates have made it mandatory for travelers from India to the USA to appear with the test reports before taking the flights.
Quarantine Guidelines
However, Indian travel policy includes institutional quarantine; the USA air travel has no such obligations.
The travellers from the USA to India have to undergo home quarantine for a duration of 14 days.
In addition to all this, every state has its own rules and restrictions regarding quarantine which one must go through before booking their flights.
Traveling can not be avoided in certain emergency conditions. Taking all the necessary precautions against COVID-19 is a must before planning international travel.
