US Air Arrivals Must Declare No Recent DRC Travel Under CDC Notice

Passengers flying into the United States must confirm to their airline that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous 21 days, according to a notice issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has separately moved to end visa-free travel to the Northern Mariana Islands for eligible Chinese nationals.

Key facts

• The CDC notice requires airlines to obtain attestations from passengers arriving in the US.
• The attestation confirms the passenger has not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days.
• DHS is suspending the Northern Mariana Islands Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP).
• The suspension ends visa-free travel to the Northern Mariana Islands for eligible Chinese nationals while DHS reviews national security and law enforcement concerns.
• The US Department of State released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin for Fiscal Year 2027.

What does the travel attestation require?

The CDC notice obliges airlines to collect a signed confirmation from passengers arriving in the United States stating that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 21 days before arrival. The attestation is gathered by the carrier as a condition of boarding rather than at the US border.

The published summary of the notice does not state when the requirement takes effect, how long it will remain in force or what happens to passengers who cannot make the declaration. Travellers with recent travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo should check the notice's details before flying.

What is changing for Chinese nationals visiting the Northern Mariana Islands?

DHS is suspending the Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP), the scheme that allowed eligible Chinese nationals to travel to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without a visa. The agency said the suspension is in place while it reviews national security and law enforcement concerns.

No end date for the suspension or criteria for restoring the programme were given in the announcement. Chinese nationals planning travel to the Northern Mariana Islands can no longer rely on visa-free entry under EVS-TAP.

What other US immigration updates were announced?

The US Department of State published the November 2026 Visa Bulletin covering Fiscal Year 2027. The US Department of Labor (DOL) also advanced a proposed rule, cleared by the Office of Management and Budget, that could significantly update the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) labour certification process. Separately, the Department of Justice and DOL settled a PERM recruitment discrimination case, an action highlighting that PERM recruitment should follow standard hiring practices and give US workers a meaningful chance to apply for the positions.

On humanitarian status, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that Sudan's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation currently remains valid through 19 October 2026, with automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) extensions for certain eligible beneficiaries through that date. USCIS said Ukraine's TPS designation and related benefits are currently set to expire on 19 October 2026, again with automatic EAD extensions for certain eligible beneficiaries through that date.

What this means for travellers

Passengers boarding flights to the United States should expect to make a declaration about time spent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days before being carried. Eligible Chinese nationals should check whether their travel to the Northern Mariana Islands still qualifies for visa-free entry before making plans, since EVS-TAP is suspended.

Workers relying on Sudan or Ukraine TPS and EADs should confirm whether they fall within the automatic extensions through 19 October 2026. Anyone following PERM labour certification should note that the DOL proposal is still at the proposed-rule stage.

Watch for further detail on the effective date of the attestation requirement, any decision on reinstating EVS-TAP and the next steps for the PERM modernisation proposal.