16 January 2026
Pressure is mounting on Caribbean governments after the US announced that it will suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 countries including several from the region.
The list, published by several international media outlets, includes Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, but notably excludes Trinidad and Tobago which has become a closer US ally in the ongoing US tensions with Venezuela.
The US State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, announced that as of 21 January, consular officers will pause immigrant visa processing for nationals deemed likely to become “public charges.”
“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. The pause will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas for temporary travel such as tourism or business.
The move comes even as four Caribbean countries—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia—have controversially agreed to accept asylum seekers and third-country migrants expelled from the US. Other countries such as Guyana are in talks with the US, while Barbados has not ruled out a similar agreement.
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit acknowledged that his government “has entered into an agreement to facilitate third-country refugees to be sent to Dominica.” He tied the decision to the 16 December executive order that placed Dominica under partial travel restrictions, saying, “This engagement is based on our responsibility to safeguard the well-being of our people… while strengthening cooperation between our two governments.”
Skerrit admitted that these are “careful deliberations,” though opposition leader Joshua Francis strongly criticised the lack of transparency. “The UPP believes this agreement has the potential to further destabilise our nation economically, socially, and from a security standpoint,” said Francis.
Antigua and Barbuda, meanwhile, framed its arrangement as a “non-binding Memorandum of Understanding.” Prime Minister Gaston Browne stated his country would consider no more than 10 asylum seekers per year, with strict case-by-case assessments and rejection of individuals with criminal records. “This was not a concession, nor an attempt to trade people or curry favour. It was a measured diplomatic gesture,” the government said.
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew confirmed a limited agreement—but explicitly excluded Haitians. “This does not involve anybody outside of CARICOM,” Drew said, adding that “because of security matters, it does not include Haiti at this time.” His comments have sparked backlash, particularly as St Kitts currently chairs the CARICOM bloc.
Similarly, Guyana is working toward a “unique” framework to accept skilled migrants with no criminal records. “This is not a case where the US would be dumping people in Guyana,” said Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, noting the country’s oil-fuelled economic transformation has created a need for 70,000 to 80,000 skilled workers.
St Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip Pierre also confirmed his government approved an MOU to potentially accept third-country nationals. However, the government stressed that no agreement had been signed and that the MOU is “non-binding” and “does not trigger any immediate transfer.”
Despite these concessions, Caribbean nations remain under mounting scrutiny. The US cited security concerns around Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes in countries like Dominica and Antigua—accusing them of offering “golden passports” to nationals of Russia, Iran, and China without proper vetting.
Caribbean states are also grappling with the expansion of the US visa bond programme, which now applies to 38 countries including Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. The Trump administration insists these refundable bonds, ranging from US$5,000 to US$15,000, are “an effective tool to ensure compliance with visa terms.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has formally objected, sending a diplomatic note to Washington arguing that Antigua has a low overstay rate and a strong record of cooperation. He also said that very few Antiguans would likely be subject to the bond.
As US deportations intensify, Caribbean nations are caught in a bind; forced to balance their economic and diplomatic ties to the US against internal public backlash and fears of destabilisation. With new agreements multiplying and visa restrictions deepening, the region must confront how to maintain sovereignty and stability while navigating an increasingly transactional US immigration policy.
Source: Caribbean Insight – Volume 48, Issue 1