The United States has imposed several restrictions on Caribbean passports including fully or partial suspension of US visas to high risk countries, starting from Jan 1, 2026 in accordance with the presidential proclamation to protect US and its citizens with enhanced vetting procedures to ensure that individuals approved for a visa do not endanger national security or public safety.
We take a look at a brief comparison below how US visa suspensions affect CBI passports tied to citizenship by investment programs.. Here is a brief summary…
- Nauru, Turkey two countries with CBI remain unaffected by US visa restrictions.
- Sao Tome Principe, Vanuatu, Antigua and Dominica subjected to visa bonds.
- Nationals of St.Kitts, St.Lucia and Grenada are eligible for US non immigrant visas.
- Dominica and Antigua subjected to both immigrant and non-immigrant visa suspension also tagged for visa bond requirement.
| Visa suspension | Non-Immigrant Visas* | Immigrant Visas* | Visa Bonds |
| Antigua and Barbuda | B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, | All | Yes |
| St.Kitts and Nevis | Eligible | All | No |
| Saint Lucia | Eligible | All | No |
| Grenada | Eligible | All | No |
| Dominica | B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, | All | Yes |
| Vanuatu | Eligible | Eligible | Yes |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Eligible | Eligible | Yes |
| Turkey | Eligible | Eligible | No |
| Nauru | Eligible | Eligible | No |
| El Salvador | Eligible | Eligible | No |
Exceptions:
(Please refer to the state department links below *)
- Dual nationals are not affected.
- Lawful permanent residents.
- Certain official and diplomatic passports.
The Department of State is currently doing a full review of all screening and vetting policies to ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not unlawfully utilize welfare in the United States or become a public charge.
Visa bonds – Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.
All Prospective candidates applying for citizenship by investment program must carefully consider US visa restrictions table before applying.
References
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/countries-subject-to-visa-bonds.html
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/immigrant-visa-processing-updates-for-nationalities-at-high-risk-of-public-benefits-usage.html
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/suspension-of-visa-issuance-to-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states.html
