Sir Ronald Sanders

From Stabroek News

Sir Ronald Sanders, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the U.S, in a statement yesterday issued an advisory regarding all classes of United States-issued visas following a proclamation by Washington.

The ambassador disclosed that acting on the instructions and guidance of the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, he held discussions on Friday with senior officials of the United States Department of State, following the issuance of the United States Proclamation entitled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” issued on December 16.

Sanders explained that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the proclamation and its implications for Antigua and Barbuda, and that the following matters were confirmed and agreed upon.

Firstly, all visas currently in existence and validly issued to holders of Antigua and Barbuda passports will continue to be respected and accepted for entry into the United States. This applies to all visa categories, including B-1, B-2, J, and M visas. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes tourist, business, student, and other valid United States-issued visas.

Secondly, it was agreed that there will be no revocation of any existing visas issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda prior to 31 December 2025.

Thirdly, new visa applications submitted after the abovementioned date these will be subject to new arrangements that are still to be worked out with several Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda.

These arrangements, the Ambassador noted, relate specifically to the collection of biometric information of Antigua and Barbuda passport holders to ensure full compatibility with United States biometric systems. He also emphasised that the process of gathering the biometric information will be no different than now applies to all Antigua and Barbuda citizens; only the technology will change to align it with the US system.

Further, this alignment of biometric data systems will apply to all citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, including citizens by birth, descent, naturalisation, or investment.

On behalf of the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, Ambassador Sanders expressed appreciation to the officials of the United States Government for working constructively and in good faith to address this matter. The US officials also assured of their commitment to continue working with representatives of Antigua and Barbuda in furtherance of the cooperative relationship that the two countries have long enjoyed.

In return, Antigua and Barbuda reaffirmed its commitment to continue working closely with United States authorities on all necessary measures to ensure that its systems present no risk to US security, while preserving legitimate travel for its citizens.

“We are pleased that clarity has been achieved on these immediate concerns, and we will continue to participate fully in the work now underway to ensure the continuation of strong people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Antigua and Barbuda,” the release noted.

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