Statement by Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda on U.S. Visa Restrictions

PRESS RELEASE

St John’s, December 16 ….The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has taken careful note of a proclamation issued by the Government of the United States suspending, with effect from 12:01 a.m. on 1 January 2026, the issuance of United States visas to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda.

We are deeply disappointed that Antigua and Barbuda has been included in this proclamation on the stated ground that our Citizenship by Investment Programme has historically operated without a residency requirement. That assertion does not reflect the present reality of our laws.

Over the past year, Antigua and Barbuda has worked closely and constructively with several departments of the United States Government to strengthen safeguards within our Citizenship by Investment Programme. We have engaged in good faith, accepted practical suggestions, and taken concrete steps to ensure that our programme presents no risk whatsoever to the security of the United States.

As part of this process, the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda has recently enacted comprehensive new legislation strengthening every aspect of the Citizenship by Investment Programme, including due diligence, transparency, information-sharing, and enforcement. Importantly, this legislation introduces a mandatory 30-day physical residency requirement in Antigua and Barbuda as a strict condition for qualification for citizenship.

It is therefore an error to state that Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Programme operates without a residency requirement.

Immediately upon the issuance of this proclamation, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, contacted the United States Department of State. He was informed that State Department officials were themselves surprised by the proclamation and had received no prior notice of its issuance.

Ambassador Sanders has since initiated arrangements for urgent, high-level engagement with the State Department and the White House to clarify the matter, to present the full and accurate facts, and to begin the process of resolving this issue with a view to restoring normal visa access for citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

In parallel, I am writing directly to President Donald J. Trump and to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, offering the full engagement and cooperation of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to address any concerns and to take all reasonable steps necessary to allow for the restoration of all visa categories.

Antigua and Barbuda values its relationship with the United States, a relationship that predates the independence of both our nations and is grounded in long-standing ties of friendship, shared democratic values, and close people-to-people connections. The United States is Antigua and Barbuda’s most significant trading partner and continues to enjoy a substantial and consistent trade surplus with our country.

The Government will do everything within its power to ensure that the excellent relations between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States continue on the basis of mutual respect, cooperation, and accurate understanding.