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National Interest Exceptions to Presidential Proclamation 10143
Presidential Proclamation 10143 suspends routine travel from the Schengen Area to the United
States. Certain travelers, including students (F1 and M1), exchange visitors (certain J1
programs), economic or business travelers (multiple visa classes) may be eligible for a National
Interest Exception (NIE) to the proclamation. With an NIE, a traveler would be able to travel
directly from Italy to the United States.
Following is NIE criteria and instructions to request an NIE.
National Interest Exceptions Criteria
• Urgent Medical: Lifesaving medical treatment for the principal applicant and
accompanying close family members.
• Humanitarian: To provide care for U.S. citizen/Lawful Permanent Resident/visa holder
in lawful status that alleviates the burden of care from a medical or other institution or
prevents the individual from becoming a ward of state, such as child born through
surrogacy.
• Public Health: Travel as a public health or health care professional or researcher to
alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or to continue ongoing research in an
area with substantial public health benefit.
• Medical escorts, legal guardians, or other escorts required by an airline or legally
required by a foreign medical or law enforcement entity.
• Derivative spouses and minor children in visas categories carrying eligibility for
derivative status and whose principal applicant is currently in the United States or
possesses a valid NIE.
• Information medical representatives and journalists traveling on I visas
• Athletes and their supporting staff should contact Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) at [email protected] regarding their eligibility for an NIE.
• Economic and Business-Related Activity:
• Executive direction in connection with vital support of Critical Infrastructure Sectors
as defined by the Department of Homeland Security or supply chain directly linked to
critical infrastructure sectors. Please see the DHS website for a list of critical
infrastructure sectors: https://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastructure-sectors
• Travel to provide vital support or executive direction for significant economic activity
in the United States. This applies to:
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o Travel to support a major entertainment production conducted in the United
States that would not go on without the traveler.
o Travel by highly specialized professionals or experts to install, service, maintain, or
receive necessary training for vessels, machinery and other critical equipment
required by U.S. and foreign firms with a substantial investment in the United States.
This travel does not need to be tied to a critical infrastructure sector.
o Travel by executives and senior-level employees providing strategy and
direction to U.S. and foreign firms with a substantial investment in the United
States.
Students: All students and their derivatives traveling to the United States to:
o Pursue a full course of study per INA 101(a)(15)(F);
o Pursue a full course of study per INA 101(a)(15)(M); or
o Participate in an exchange program as a bona fide student.
Exchange Visitors: All exchange visitors and their derivatives traveling to the United States
under INA 101(a)(15)(J) in the following categories:
o Student
o Professors
o Research Scholar
o Short Term Scholar
o Alien Physician
o Student Intern
o Au pairs who meet one of the following criteria: to provide care for a minor U.S. citizen,
LPR, or nonimmigrant in lawful status and who possesses special skills required for a
child with particular needs (e.g., medical, special education, or sign langue); to prevent a
U.S. citizen, LPR, or other nonimmigrant in lawful status from becoming a public health
care or ward of the state of a medical or other public funded institution; or to provide
childcare services for a child whose parents are involved with the provision of medical
care to individuals who have contracted COVID-19 or medical research at U.S. facilitates
to help the United States combat COVID-19.
NIE INSTRUCTIONS for Travelers with Valid Visas or ESTA
Travelers who have valid visas or ESTA authorization may request an NIE for the travel
purposes stated above.
1. If you have a valid visa, email ONLY the consular section where your visa was issued.
You will not receive a response if you email multiple locations.
• Visas issued in Florence: [email protected]
• Visas issued in Milan: [email protected]
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• Visas issued in Naples: [email protected]
• Visas issued in Rome: [email protected]
2. If you have ESTA authorization, email ONLY the consular section in your region of
residence. You will not receive a response if you email multiple locations.
• U.S. Consulate General Florence: Emilia Romagna (except for Parma and
Piacenza), Tuscany, and San Marino
• U.S. Consulate General Milan: Friuli, Liguria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Trentino
Alto Adige, Valle d’Aosta, Emilia Romagna (only Parma and Piacenza), and
Veneto
• U.S. Consulate General Naples: Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Sicily,
and Molise
• U.S. Embassy Rome: Abruzzo, Lazio, Sardegna, Umbria, Marche
3. Your email must use the following subject line NIE request for SURNAME, FIRST
NAME for STATE PURPOSE (e.g. humanitarian travel, fulfill contract obligations)
4. You email must include the following information in the body of the email:
o Name As It Appears on Passport:
o Current location (city, state/region, country)
o Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY):
o Passport Number:
o Passport Date of Issuance:
o Passport Date of Expiration:
o Reason For Travel:
o NIE eligibility:
o Proposed Itinerary including dates of travel:
o E-mail address:
o Phone #:
5. Your email must include a photo/scan of your passport biographic page; a photo/scan of
your valid U.S. visa or ESTA authorization; and any supporting documentation to
demonstrate NIE eligibility in English (e.g., proof of medicant treatment, specific work in
critical infrastructure, letter of invitation from U.S. client). If the consular officer needs
more information to evaluate your NIE eligibility, you will receive an email.
6. If you are eligible for an NIE, you will receive an email notification of NIE approval. An
NIE is valid for 12 months and multiple entries for the same purpose for which it is
issued.
**PLEASE READ: HELPFUL TIPS FOR NIE PROCESSING
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• Expect significant delays in NIE processing. While we aim to process NIE requests as
soon as practicable, visa and NIE demand far exceeds our capacity. NIE processing
times vary and are 90-120 days in some locations. Only NIEs for humanitarian and
medically urgent travel will be processed swiftly. We ask for your patience.
• Multiple emails about the same NIE request are not helpful and may impede our ability to
process more NIEs.
• We cannot process NIEs for individuals currently in the United States. If you are
currently in the United States, you should carefully consider your travel plans and
anticipate significant delays in NIE and visa processing in Italy.
• Groups traveling together should submit ONE email for the entire traveling group.
• Do not email to check on the status of your NIE. Please rest assured that we will email
you when we have reviewed your request.
NIE INSTRUCTIONS for Travelers Without a Valid Visa
If you are applying for a new visa or renewing a visa, a consular officer will determine NIE
eligibility as part your normal visa application. Please do not submit an NIE request by email.
To schedule a visa appointment, please visit https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-it/niv. Please use this
site to request an expedited appointment or determine eligibility for the Interview Waiver
program. Please note that routine visa processing remains suspended. For more information
about visa processing at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Italy, please visit our website at
https://it.usembassy.gov/visas/
