Rubio Assures Browne: US travel restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica are temporary 

Antigua and Barbuda: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Prime Minister Gaston Browne while in the presence of other CARICOM Heads of Government that partial travel restriction by the USA on Antigua and Barbud and Dominica are temporary. PM Browne said that this was the response from the top diplomat of United States when he put the issue to him during the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting held in St Kitts and Nevis.

Referring to the development, Prime Minister Browne said that the US Secretary made it clear that these restrictions does not come as an attack on Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, but they come ahead of the roll-out of a yet new global visa policy.

“I had the distinction of putting that questions year directly to Secretary of State Rub and his response to me in the presence of all of my other colleague heads was that these restrictions are temporary. What they're seeking now is to have a new visa policy which they hope to have completed. Let's say hopefully by the end of the proclamation which ends in June, and by then they'll roll out a new visa policy which evidently will affect all of us, whatever those adjustments may be,” said the PM.

While explaining the situation, PM Browne noted that what seems to have happened is that some of the individuals find ways to exploit the social services and added that, “Some of them I understand will get married and you know eventually become citizens because some people argue that look, if you're just an immigrant, you're not a citizen that you're not eligible but again some of them become citizens through marriage, still not making constructive contributions and utilizing social services.”

He referred to it as a loophole and said that the United States is trying to run from and from the standpoint, the Antiguan Prime Minister said that they are protecting their borders and at the same time they are ensuring that there is not a drag on the social services.

Notably, partial travel restrictions at present are in effect for both the countries as well as several other states relating to the issuance of new non-immigrant visas. In more recent weeks, there has been a temporary pause on the processing of new immigrant visas or green cards for 75 nations which includes most CARICOM member states. Those with valid visas can continue to travel to the United States without interruption.