Newly released official visa statistics have revealed stark variations in the number of U.S. B1/B2 temporary visitor visas issued across Caribbean and nearby South American nations during the first two months of 2026. Two Eastern Caribbean island nations — Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica — stand out with a recorded total of zero visas issued in this period, an outlier that has drawn attention amid otherwise uneven distribution across the region.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Trinidad and Tobago logged the highest volume of approvals, with 4,431 B1/B2 visas issued to its applicants. Neighboring Guyana followed with a total of 2,777 issued visas, while Barbados ranked third with 865 issuances recorded over the two-month window.
For most other Eastern Caribbean territories, the number of issued visas fell far below the counts seen in larger regional economies. St. Kitts and Nevis recorded 238 approved visas, with St. Lucia close behind at 192. Grenada followed with 164 issuances, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines rounded out the regional count with 144.
For context, the B1/B2 combined visa is the most common U.S. travel document for temporary entry, allowing eligible holders to travel to the United States for business purposes, leisure tourism, or a mix of both activities during their stay.
Experts and immigration analysts caution against jumping to conclusions about the zero-issuance figures for Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, noting that the raw data does not inherently mean all visa applicants from the two countries were rejected outright. Multiple administrative factors can impact how issuance statistics are compiled: classification conventions for pending or transferred applications can shift reported numbers, and many applicants choose to submit their applications at processing centers outside their home country, which can reallocate counts to other jurisdictions. Further official clarification is required to pinpoint the exact cause of the zero recorded figures and what they indicate for travel trends between the two nations and the U.S.