Separated couples fight for travel exemptions, say ‘love is essential’

CNN — “We are in a REAL relationship,” Michael Ibeam Cline says as he explains why he and Elena Guerrero, his “love,” deserve to be together. “It is clear that it is political and will likely be difficult for anyone to come to the US until the EU lifts its ban on Americans visiting Europe.” That’s off the table for now, but the couple is considering a meet in Mexico, where they’d be forced to quarantine for two weeks before heading to Warner’s home in Colorado. But although Madhav was issued a revalidated visa once she established her marriage to an Indian citizen, she maintains there’s “significant confusion on the part of airlines as to who is allowed to enter India,” which does not take into account associated costs of travel and visa-related fees. So there may be other costs we don’t know about,” Elliott says, listing off the potential fees: $535 filing fee; $265 fee for the online nonimmigrant visa application; $450 medical exam fee. The private Facebook group “Couples Separated by Travel Bans” is filled with people from all over the world in similar but different predicaments, supporting each other with encouraging words, calls to write letters to government officials, posing questions and curiosities on the third country loophole and giving recommendations of where to quarantine on a budget in NYC.