The Antigua and Barbuda government has issued a formal rebuttal against what it characterizes as a deliberately misleading news report regarding U.S. visa processing. Foreign Affairs Minister E. Paul Chet Greene has unequivocally rejected an article published in the January 5, 2026 edition of the Antigua Observer, which alleged improper cancellation of a student visa despite government assurances.
According to official statements, direct consultations with U.S. immigration authorities confirmed that the case referenced in the article bore no connection to Presidential Proclamation 10998. Instead, the application was denied under Section 214(b) of standard U.S. immigration law, which pertains to applicant eligibility requirements.
The Ministry clarified fundamental aspects of U.S. visa processing protocols, noting that preliminary interview approval does not constitute final visa issuance. All applications undergo mandatory post-interview vetting through Washington, D.C., where refusals may occur if statutory criteria remain unmet. Crucially, no visa was ever issued in this instance, and the refusal notice made no reference to the Presidential Proclamation.
Further investigation revealed that the photograph accompanying the article—purportedly showing a cancelled visa—was completely unrelated. The image actually depicted an H-1B work visa application from India, bearing no connection to either Antigua or student visa processing.
The Ministry concluded that the article was constructed with malicious intent to falsely suggest that visas approved before January 1, 2026 were not being honored. The government maintains that all validly issued visas continue to be respected and that the newspaper’s claims lack factual foundation.