Prime Minister Gaston Browne says new United States visa restrictions affecting citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica are temporary and part of a wider immigration policy overhaul.
Speaking after the 50th Caricom Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis, Mr Browne said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had assured regional leaders that the measures form part of a global rollout of a revised visa framework expected by June.
Under updated US State Department reciprocity schedules, B1/B2 visitor visas for both countries have been reduced from 10 years with multiple entries to single-entry visas valid for three months.
Nationals applying for new visas must also post a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000, determined at interview. Bond holders are required to enter and exit the US through designated airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, among others in the US and Canada.
The restrictions also apply to several non-immigrant visa categories, including student, exchange, temporary worker and media visas. Diplomatic visas are unaffected.
Mr Browne said the changes should not be seen as targeted at Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica. He said US officials cited concerns about visa overstays and access to social services, adding that leaders of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States argued that their regional overstay rate – estimated at about 1.3% to 1.4% – was minimal.
Partial restrictions were first announced in December 2025, when Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica were listed among 15 countries under a White House proclamation citing national security concerns linked to Citizenship by Investment programmes.
Mr Browne said the measures apply only to new applications and do not affect existing valid visas. He advised citizens to delay non-urgent applications, noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can request exemptions in cases such as medical emergencies.
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Antiguans & Barbudans and Dominicans are yet to hear and understand from their governments why they are the only ones singled out for this Visa squeeze. The attempt at giving a probable cause and reason was lame and feeble at best.
Mr Know it all – Audley Phillip. Since you know the reason or reasons, feel free to share. Your assertion that we know the true reason and that we are not sharing is simply speculative drivel.
Then again. Mr Know it all has all of the answers.
If the real Gaston Browne. There’s no point in fighting online, just be truthful to our people.
Audley Phillip’s makes a very valid point when he mentions:
“Antiguans & Barbudans and Dominicans are yet to hear and understand from their governments, why they are the only ones singled out for this Visa squeeze …”
@Audley, this sounds a reasonable question to ask for many concerned Antiguans concerned about travel to the US, if like me you have family members and friends you regularly visit with Trump’s.”colour” restrictive measures.
Prime Minister Browne’s response to him was typically disrespectful to a pertinent question. Wow!
I think our Prime Minister forgets that he’s not only our public servant, but also he’s paid the big bucks as a leader to respond respectfully to the taxpaying public as well.
Roll on 16th of March…
Prime Minister Brown we need you to solve this, we have kids to go to school and I have a sick father who has to go every six months. Will he have to pay for a ticket to Barbados every 3 months?
Gaston Browne, just as you answered Audley Phillip, I am hoping you will address my concern.
Is there a disconnect between you, Sir Sir Ron and the US departments?
During the week the news broke about the 3 months single entry visa for citizens of Antigua and Dominica.
Sir Sir Ron wasted no time in saying that this was a false alarm.
Previously when a very issue surrounding the visa application process for Dominicans and Antiguans surfaced, the very same Sir Sir Ron made a similar declaration and you went on to follow him saying that your ambassador and government were too skilled for that to happen.
Days after you had to eat crow.
Today you have accepted that the three months single entry is reality.
Is Sir Sir Ron updating you and apologizing for misleading the nation?
How long will you allow Sir Sir Ron to make you appear silly?
Is Sir Sor Ron more invested in his role as Chancellor of UG than that of being our ambassador?
In fact is Sir Sir Ron in the US or operating from his chancellor office in Guyana?
I know that you cherish his speech writing.
No problem.
You can pay him for doing that.
However I am satisfied that he has outlived his usefulness as our ambassador.
Dont you thing him holding two offices for two different countries is a direct conflict of interest and hence the reason he is always late to advise of and on what is happening in the white house and in the capital?
Too much information relevant to Antigua is hitting local news media before you are seemingly made aware of it.
Our passport is now being devalued.
Is Sir Sir Ron seeking to jump before he is pushed however not wanting to lose his fat pay cheque?
Our ambassador should be on top of every situation and you should be the one breaking news to the natjon.
Sadly it appears that he is always the last to know.
When will you give him the boot?
Where is his allegiance, Antigua or Guyana?
Mr. Gaston brown, shouldn’t you be busy running the country??🤔
You answering people on ANR? Really!!
You are the worst prime minister ever?
The diplomatic visas are not affected!!
Hmm!
I have problems with PM Gaston Browne on numerous issues, but he is somewhat correct in this case.
While Audley Phillip has not been an acerbic commentator as many others; his comments always seem as if he looking for attention.
With the litany of problems affecting the Country; many requiring attention especially those affecting the health and welfare of the working poor. Find another subject Audrey.
Example: The meeting with Eli Fuller, the Prime Minister and the Minister Darryl Matthew at el, on Pointe Media TV was informative and troubling which should have resulted in a national debate.
It’s available on YouTube
The subject matters important to you and which you write about is your own personal decision; but to be taken seriously, or maybe you don’t want to be taken seriously.
If I may make a suggestion, go back and look at the session with Eli Fuller and PM Gaston Browne, at el; for it is telling about how we got to where we are; and our chances of getting out out poverty and unemployment and low wages.
Well Gaston you are saying one thing, and Ron saunders is saying it’s a lie, how much more of the antiguan and barbudans brains you want to harvest? Are we so stupid and illiterate for you to subject us to these living conditions?
And you have the heart to be campaigning in st Phillips north for expansion of your terrible rule.
People please look out for yourselves, Gaston only looking out for himself and family.
Transparency is lacking! The government need to stop sugarcoating what has actually happened. The citizens are better off knowing the real reasons of why we are in this situation. Many egotistical errors have been made by our government and it would be in the best interest to be honest with the citizens. The citizens are the ones who are feeling the visa squeeze because of decisions the government made. Intelligence without empathy is useless, power without compassion is dangerous. Many who depend on traveling to the US for their livelihood are now suffering because of decisions made by a government who doesn’t have the people best interest at heart. It’s time for a change, please don’t be fool by the smooth talk and what appears to be intelligent. These folks are only thinking about themselves and their family and close friends. It’s never about YOU. They only seem to care during election time. Antigua wake up!
All lies we a getting from them. Whether it’s only temporary, the question is, why were we singled out? We need the truth for once.
“Temporary” is doing a lot of work in this statement. Our PM is taking Rubio’s word for it while Trump and the White House does what it wants. Why must Antiguans pay thousand dollar bonds and have their visa they spent weeks trying to get become a single use stamp?
And if our overstay rate is only 1.3%, why are we being used as an “example”? Trinidad, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries have larger overstay issues and would be more measurable for the US than just simply repressing visa application processes
The name calling and vilification has become a normal part of the Antiguan life, especially is you ask pertinent questions to politicians. The tendency for governments to resist, deflect, or react negatively to critical questions from citizens is a widely recognized issue in political science and public administration, reflecting a tension between the need for accountability and the desire for control. While public officials are expected to be transparent, they frequently use techniques to avoid direct answers to maintain their narrative and manage public perception. As a citizen of this country, I have a fiduciary right and responsibility to ask questions of my government. Never once have I ever been disrespectful of anyone because being disrespectful is not like me. I ask questions and I question the answers given and if that makes me a bad person and someone who think I know it all, then so be it. Audley Phillip would never be a yes man!
Ron Sanders is the worst diplomat we ever had. He needs to be fired. We need someone who looks after our interests, not a Guyanese. But he is a real waste.
There is no indication in the official communication that this is temporary. I am tired of officials comining up with lame excuses. When there was a list early last year showing countries, including Antigua, will have their visa’s restricted, officials came out and said it is not an official list. The the PM said Antigua visas would not be restricted and if so, the government is to good at negotiating for the USA to restrict Antigua visas. The CIP is the cause and they still killing themselves to maintain it and at the end of the day we not going to be able to go to Europe, the USA or Canada and out passports would no longer have any value to attract investors. It is just a lose lose situation.
When you are an habitual liar,you go in circles to cover up the previous lie.
I have outlined many times on here the reason for the singling out of Dominica and Antigua in the Trump visa restrictions.
I have even predicted and stated for a fact, that the US has turned it’s back on these two nations, and that the relationship between them have been shattered by GB foolish rhetorics and his dumb decisions to choose Maduro and his corrupt oil over the US.
The answers have been already given, so to keep asking these questions will only bring out further lies and evasive actions from your inept leader.
They have lost the town, lost it.
So all this attempt to get GB to explain Antigua’s position with the US is futile.
I also predicted that Antigua will never get any deportees from the US that many thought GB will agree to, why, because Trump has already pulled his interest in all things Antigua, and that’s why these two nations are getting squeezed.
I’m not a Trump guy, but the lesser of both evil has always being my screaming point.
It’s better to deal with the enemy you know than the devil you don’t, and if y’all think that y’all know the true nature of China’s agenda in the Caribbean, y’all are idiots and are fooled by the few trinkets they spread throughout the Caribbean.
We call for sovereignty (delusional) but in the same breath we love to take gifts from powerful nations like China and the Arabs.
These people are not known for their frivolity, just giving out things for nothing.
China’s political policies will never aligned well in the Caribbean, never, and this is what many of you fools have missed in this entire debacle, including that professor from the UWI Antigua who likes to come on ANR with his long winded opinions.
The strategy from the GB brown leg administration has been a fraud from the get go..the notion that they continue to spew over and over again ” that we are friends to all and enemy to none” is as hypothetical as it gets..many moves that this administration has made over the years have proven that point..case in point attacking the PM of T&T over her stance with the US, instead of Maduro.
So y’all better wake up and understand that this PM(GB) has lost the city.
My next prediction is that tourism will fall in Antigua big time, especially from the US, and if they come by boat, they will not spend as they are used to..mark my word. Then we will see how GB explain that one.
The man talk too much, and many a times, he’s caught saying the wrong things or in a lie.
These things catch up to you.. morality is still a standard that we should be living by, not sell it out to the highest bidder.
@Rovi…..thank U.
This what we need to know. Why only gese 2 islands that r singled out everytime. Something is definitely being hidden from the citizens. So whn Audly asked the question instead of the Gaston Browne answer saying he is a know a man, it was the perfect opportunity to tell the truth. Plain n simple.
Antiguaans need to know. I will always go back to T&T PM when she said tell Gaston don’t worry about her. Tell d ppl of his country why America is sanctioning our visa. She knows something that we are not in the know about.
At this point, I don’t think it’s the CIP alone. Other countries have their CIP program n they r not in this crisis like us. Sorry, but there’s alot more to this!!!
I really respect mr Audley Phillip and he sometimes make comments backing ABLP…HE IS Not BIAS … Gaston is very arrogant, its so unfortunate because of his position as the country leader …BTW WHATS UP WITH The POTHOLES everywhere, I’m paying extra for licensing .. so do you want to call me a know it all as well… just remember having knowledge could be as simple as knowing how to stop eating when you are FULL..” literally” and “figuratively”….
We will never get the real reason from the PM or the Ambassador. One is a CHARLATAN and the other one is a former Papa Bird DEPORTEE. Neither of them truly love Antiguans they are just there for the BIG BUCKS that come with the positions
So the Unbassador says it’s false, now the honorable PM says its temporary…hmmm….we know the ambassador is false… hoping the PM is temporary. Let’s hope the big man up north doesn’t have to send some bunker busting bombs to that big complex behind the barbed wire out Marble hill
Absolutely nothing was wrong with Mr. Audley Phillip’s question. No matter how you feel about a person, or even the question he asked, he is a citizen. That’s his right under the constitution while he was not making any threats or slander in any way. It’s a fair question! If anyone has a problem with that it tells you that they are discouraging critical thinking. Asking a question can trigger dialogue and that might be the reason to shut down a question. America no longer govern by transparency and we cannot be so quick to adopt their ways. Anytime you find asking questions to be attention seeking then this is no longer a government, it’s a cult.
Now I am speaking from a position of neutrality, however, I tend to lean favorably towards many of what the Prime Minister is s doing and I like him as a leader too. I believe he is one of the better PM in the Caribbean, for several reasons. But if I can’t ask a question of him whether anyone see the question as “attention seeking” or not, what are we as a people? Are we becoming a people lead to the slaughter? I endorse the question raised by Mr. Phillip! The PM is not Jesus Christ and beyond reproach. Jesus was the only perfect man that when he spoke you could not find fault with anything he said. No other humans can ever make that claim.
Mr. Phillip, you are absolutely correct in not being a “yes man”. They usually finish last in any class.
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