In a specially called gathering held on Monday, August 10, 2026, the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has formally signed off on a sweeping package of policy adjustments designed to fortify the nation’s border infrastructure and upgrade overall domestic national security. The high-stakes meeting brought together a broad cross-section of key national security stakeholders, including members of the country’s National Security Council, top command from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, senior leadership of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, executive representatives from the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), senior management from the Immigration Department and Customs and Excise Division, as well as leadership from the National Solid Waste Management Authority.
One of the most impactful policy changes approved during the session is an immediate implementation of a 60-day grace period for foreign nationals residing in the country with expired legal immigration status. This window gives affected individuals a set period to resolve their documentation issues by formalizing their status with the national Immigration Department. Any person who does not complete the status regularization process within the allocated 60 days will be required to exit Antigua and Barbuda, per the new policy terms. Cabinet officials clarified that individuals who are required to leave due to unregularized status do not face a permanent ban: they are eligible to reapply for entry to the country at a future date, provided they meet all standard existing immigration requirements for new applicants.
In an official statement following the meeting, the Cabinet explained that the 60-day timeline was deliberately chosen to strike a balance between administrative efficiency and fair treatment of affected individuals. The grace period is intended to offer those with lapsed documentation a reasonable, low-pressure opportunity to bring their status into compliance, while also supporting the government’s broader goal of tightening the country’s border management systems and reinforcing the national security framework that protects all residents. The national government is actively urging every person impacted by this policy change to take advantage of the amnesty window to resolve their immigration status and align their residency with the formal laws of Antigua and Barbuda, avoiding enforcement action that will follow after the grace period expires.