Tag: Germany

The US To Lift Travel Ban to Vaccinated Travelers

The U.S. To Lift Travel Ban to Vaccinated Travelers

US to lift travel ban

 

 

The Biden Administration has announced plans to lift the travel ban on travelers to the United States. Only vaccinated travelers who submit to contact tracing will be allowed into the Country. The travel bad could be lifted as early as November.

This travel ban has been in place ever since President Trump implemented it in 2020 and was extended by President Biden once he took office. The ban encapsulated those who have been in one of these countries/areas within 14 days of entering the United States:

  • The Schengen area
  • The United Kingdom/Ireland
  • India
  • South Africa
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Iran

Before and until the travel ban ends, the only way to get into the United States from one of those countries is to either; quarantine in a country not listed above for 14 days or obtain a National Interest Exception (NIE).

The Biden administration has not yet confirmed which vaccines will be accepted. It’s likely to be the vaccines already approved in the United States and Europe, but it’s not clear if vaccinated individuals with Indian, Chinese, or Russian-made vaccines will be allowed in.

Not much information has been disclosed about the process, but once the travel bans are lifted, demand for U.S. visas will likely increase dramatically. U.S. Embassies and Consulates are already short-staffed (as you can read in our article about international students struggling to get U.S. visas) and will get worse.

The Biden Administration states that they are aiming to replace the current travel bans/restrictions with a “safer, stronger and more sustainable” system.

Exactly how they will conduct the contact tracing has not been stated.

Each state has the freedom to implement its own regulations as well. Some states may require proof of a negative COVID test within 3-days of traveling or quarantining, and some may not.

If you are interested in obtaining a U.S. visa or have any other questions regarding immigration, contact our Charlotte office: charlotte@bridgehouse.law.

The NFL is Looking for a Host City in Germany

The NFL is Looking for a Host City in Germany


What do you think about football in Germany? Hello, this is Reinhard von Hennigs. And the question is, are we talking soccer or football? No, we are not talking about soccer even though it would be prudent to talk about European soccer in light of the ongoing European soccer championship. It is about American football.


The NFL, the American football league, is looking to find a partner city in Germany to host regular-season games in Germany. To the enjoyment of the millions of German fans. There's not only television, and the weekly television viewership has grown by over 20% in the last three years, but they're trying to identify which city would be a perfect host city.


The NFL is at this time conducting games outside of the United States in Mexico and Canada. And let's, don't forget about the special London event they had scheduled. I'm curious which city they will pick. I'm also curious how much business will be around that. Will American companies who operate in Germany act as hosts? Will German companies who are engaged in international business and trade, especially with the United States, become a sponsor here? From a sponsorship, from a marketing opportunity, I see great ideas when ideas flow from one continent to the other. 


Let's wait to see which German city the NFL will pick. Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt. I can see lots of great cities of interest. The NFL may be interested to match it up with some of the local NFL fan clubs or fan teams. And the Berlin thunders, Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt galaxy, the Hambrook sea devils are just a few of them, which may be a reason for them to go to one of those cities. The local fan base is at the end what matters because the stadium needs to be full.


#430, June 2021, NFL, German, television football, sponsorship.

Shortage of CO2

Shortage of CO2


Did you know that there is a shortage of CO2? No, this is not about global warming, this is about the fizz in the glass. Because we are driving less, because there is less ethanol production, because so many things are changing because of COVID, there is also a reduction in the production of CO2. I didn’t know until recently that companies who are reselling the Carbon Dioxide byproduct, are selling less ethanol or other products that produce CO2, therefore, CO2 is in short supply and high demand. Brewers are now paying up to 25% more than they used to pay for CO2 a year ago.


The sudden increase in prices for CO2 products and the decrease of CO2 also means that cans of carbonated drinks like soda could become more scarce. You may not be shopping as much, I know I’m not shopping as much, but I heard reports that the variety of flavors from carbonated drinks are also limited. So, what are my takeaways from this CO2 shortage? If you are operating your product from a byproduct, make sure that the byproduct is still available if the main product is no longer being produced. In other words, what could a company have done better to secure their supply? My second takeaway is that if you are operating with a byproduct, what could an alternate business model be for you to stay successful. Both are the initial questions that come to mind when I realize that my very own water bubbling machine at home is becoming harder and harder to be refilled.


#326, January 2021, CO2, beer, soda, carbonation, byproduct.