The Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, has formally refuted as entirely inaccurate a recent media report claiming reduced validity periods for U.S. visas issued to citizens of Antigua and Barbuda. The controversial assertion originated in a Virgin Islands Consortium article published Thursday, which alleged that the U.S. State Department had updated its reciprocity schedules to limit visa validity to merely three months for passport holders from both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica.
Sir Ronald categorically dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the online publication’s information was fundamentally flawed. While addressing these false allegations, the ambassador confirmed that separate, legitimate visa discussions with U.S. authorities remain ongoing. These talks concern previously announced visa restrictions from Washington in late 2023, coupled with a subsequent suspension in processing immigrant visas (green cards) that impacts citizens from 75 countries worldwide.
The ambassador’s clarification comes amid heightened sensitivity regarding international travel protocols and bilateral relations between Caribbean nations and the United States. Diplomatic channels remain actively engaged in resolving the genuine visa processing matters, though the specific allegations of reduced visa validity have been definitively characterized as misinformation.