Trump administration exempts European students from coronavirus travel restrictions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Foreign students coming from Europe are exempt from a travel ban imposed by the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic, the US State Department told the offices of Congress on Thursday.

The State Department also told lawmakers it would offer exemptions for some au pairs and family members of visa holders in the United States, according to a memo sent to lawmakers and seen by Reuters.

The measures are part of an effort by the Trump administration to gradually reopen international travel after months of radical restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump banned travelers from most European countries in March when COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in the region before the disease took over the United States.

The European Union began allowing non-essential travel from a limited number of countries last month, but travelers from the United States, where cases of coronavirus have increased rapidly in recent weeks, remain prohibited.

The U.S. decision to allow European students to arrive days after the Trump administration agreed to abandon a policy that could have forced tens of thousands of international students to leave the United States if their classes were entirely online. The change came amid legal challenges from top universities and pressure from business and tech companies.

China, Brazil, and Iran face similar travel bans, but students from those nations were not included in the United States exemptions.

Students in European countries who already have visas to study in the United States are exempt from the ban, according to the memo.

The State Department also said that spouses and children of certain foreign workers who come to the United States may qualify for exemptions, including spouses of qualified workers with H-1B visas.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.