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UPP’s Bowen Says U.S. Visa Restrictions Crush Dreams of Young Antiguans
Opposition United Progressive Party MP and deputy leader Sherfield Bowen said new U.S. visa restrictions have shut the door on opportunities that once allowed determined Antiguans to study, work and build lives abroad, calling the development a national tragedy.
In remarks posted on Observer on Wednesday, Bowen contrasted his own journey four decades ago with the prospects facing young people today.
“Forty years ago, on a morning like this, I had a dream of becoming a Lawyer and an Accountant,” he said, recalling his decision to go to the United States “without money and without any support whatsoever” and work to achieve that goal.
Bowen said that path is no longer available to others. “Forty years later, I cry for many others, similarly situated, with similar dreams and resolve, but as of 12:01am this morning, can no longer entertain that dream,” he said.
He accused the government of damaging the country’s international standing, arguing that Antigua and Barbuda has effectively placed itself on what he described as a U.S. “banned countries list.” Bowen used sarcastic language to criticize Prime Minister Gaston Browne, adding, “What an achievement Mr. World Boss!”
Bowen said the consequences extend beyond elite travel, affecting ordinary citizens seeking first-time visas to visit family, pursue education or employment, or travel for tourism. “No longer can today’s young person’s harbor the American dream,” he said, listing destinations and experiences he said are now out of reach.
He also criticized the Citizenship by Investment Programme, saying it has undermined confidence in the country’s passport. “Our precious passport has now become worthless,” Bowen said, asserting that multiple jurisdictions no longer respect it and describing the programme as a “golden calf” now “on life support.”
Bowen said his concern was not for the investment programme itself, but for young Antiguans. He said their aspirations for education, health care, travel and work in the United States have been “suddenly ignited into a ball of fire.”
“Antigua and Barbuda, I cry for thee,” he said.
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Antigua has no one yet blame but themselves. They were told this would happen and kept the CIP program. Same is going to happen in the EU.
The US Visa blockade on Antigua and Barbuda amounts to the most serious and significant penalty, forfeiture and discipline ever placed on our country at least in my lifetime. It is a hugely disappointing and embarrassing that we have come to this. I know that there are a mountain of speculation why this really happened. The U.S. visa restriction on Antigua and Barbuda is, at its core, a security decision. From Washington’s perspective, Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) programs create a vulnerability when citizenship can be obtained quickly, with limited physical presence, and then used to access U.S. visas. The concern is not Antigua alone—but what a passport represents once it enters the global system. For the U.S., visa policy is not a courtesy. It is a filter. If the issuing country’s background checks, residency enforcement and information-sharing are perceived as insufficient, the filter tightens—immediately. The restriction also serves another purpose: pressure.
By imposing partial limits—not a total ban—the U.S. sends a calibrated message to all CBI countries: raise standards, deepen due diligence, enforce real residency, or face consequences.
Antigua’s partial relief shows the door is not totally closed. But it also makes the expectation clear: citizenship must show substance, not just paperwork. How long citizens of our twin island nation have to deal with this visa challenge will depend on our government and how quickly they can remedy and fix this CBI nightmare to the satisfaction of Washington.
Question, what does it take to get a US visa and is it this simple and easy? Also curious to know if a CBI inherited passport, differ from our everyday passport?
Look who is talking about crushing the dreams of young people.
You more than crushed Tessa’s dreams.
Zzzzzzzzz 😴
@Carvaa.
Yes, it is easy to get a visa for a person of wealth, and for someone who is not on the FBI radar. For one, you can easily changed your identity with a different passport. The chain of custody is broken if you are requesting a passport from a different citizenship from your original place of birth, and it is much easier for a criminal to sneak through the crack that way.
So let that sink in as to what security issues any country that has such a program as the CIP. When you appy for a visa, the police background that is asked for, is that of your residency, so just put that into context.
Think brother, think.
Is the dream to live, work and study in the US or is the dream to be educated? UWI does a fantastic job and believe it or not, they actually rate higher than most universities in the US outside of the Ivy League schools.
So instead of giving your money to a country THAT DOESN’T EVEN WANT YOU THERE, how about giving it to regional universities. Many people get loans and scholarships to get further education and don’t even come back or give back to the country that gave them the opportunity anyway.
The US is not the same place that you were to 40 years ago Mr. Bowen. It is not safe, it is not welcoming, and quite frankly there are many more interesting places to visit around the world. Ask the many ex-pats who live in our parts.
@ Audley Phillip.
While I agree with you on some points, I must ask when will enough be enough? When will the Caribbean stop being dictated to by other hypocritical countries?
Whether it’s by CBI, off-shore banking or online gaming, are we not entitled to generate revenue on our own without having to go with our hands out begging all the time?
Yes…when will enough be enough? We strengthen CBI per their “instructions” and then it’s not enough until finally it becomes a program that’s designed by them for us. All they want us to be is a tourism country that are maids and servers.
In the long run, it’s a visa. A piece of paper that we literally had to sell our souls for. We all know the process. Lengthy application, invasion of social media privacy, and not to mention the expense of it all only to be rejected without a refund. To some it’s worth plenty, and to others it is not even worth enough for us to wipe our asses with.
Partial relief you say? So in other words I am to choose between a visa and being able to grow the economy? Which one will you choose?
I know which one I will……
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