PM Browne expresses disappointment over US visa restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda: The government of Antigua and Barbuda has expressed disappointment over the decision by the United States to impose partial visa restrictions on its citizens. Responding to the move, Prime Minister Gaston Browne noted that claims that the country’s CBI operates without residency requirements do not reflect the present reality of their laws.

PM Browne asserted that over the past year, Antigua and Barbuda has worked closely and constructively with several departments of the United States Government to strengthen safeguards within Citizenship by Investment Programme. He said that they engaged in good faith, accepted practical suggestions and took concrete steps to ensure that the programme presents no risk to the security of the United States.

He further sheds light on the steps taken by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the integrity of the CBI Programme. PM Browne outlined that the parliament recently enacted comprehensive new legislation strengthening every aspect of the programme, including due diligence, transparency, information-sharing, and enforcement.

The legislation introduced a mandatory 30-day physical residency requirement in Antigua and Barbuda as a strict condition for qualification for citizenship. With this, PM Browne called it an error to state that the CBI Programme operates without a residency requirement.

Immediately upon the issuance of this proclamation, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, contacted the United States Department of State. He was informed that State Department officials were themselves surprised by the proclamation and had received no prior notice of its issuance.

Ambassador Sanders has since initiated arrangements for urgent, high-level engagement with the State Department and the White House to clarify the matter, to present the full and accurate facts, and to begin the process of resolving this issue with a view to restoring normal visa access for citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

PM Browne also wrote directly to President Donald Trump and to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, aiming to demand clarification. He said that they will offer full engagement and cooperation of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to address any concerns and to take all  reasonable steps necessary to allow for the restoration of all visa categories.

“Antigua and Barbuda values its relationship with the United States, a relationship that predates the independence of both our nations and is grounded in long-standing ties of friendship, shared democratic values, and close people-to-people connections.”

He said that the United States is Antigua and Barbuda’s most significant trading partner and continues to enjoy a substantial and consistent trade surplus with the country. PM Browne noted that the  Government will do everything within its power to ensure that the excellent relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States continue on the basis of mutual respect, cooperation, and accurate understanding.