According to a leaked State Department memo, four Caribbean islands- Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia- are being considered for inclusion as part of the United States travel ban policy’s expansion. Photo: Internet Source

The United States views the Citizenship by Investment Program being operated by Caribbean nations as potential loopholes for individuals from already-banned countries to gain entry using secondary passports. Photo: Internet Source

Caribbean leaders worry that restrictions could devastate their tourism industry, which is vital to their economies. Photo: Internet Source

A VI Consortium (VIC) article on June 15, 2025, said the proposed restrictions, which could mark the largest single expansion of U.S. visa limitations in recent history, have sparked alarm among affected nations, travellers, and advocacy groups, while raising questions about diplomatic fallout and economic impacts.

The leaked memo, first reported in The Washington Post and Reuters this past weekend, outlines a tiered system of restrictions aimed at addressing perceived national security risks, inadequate identity documentation, high visa overstay rates, and lack of cooperation on deportation agreements.

CBI operating islands

These four Caribbean islands all have one major thing in common: they operate Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programs. Some of these programs have been in existence for over three decades. 

The U.S. reportedly views these programs as potential loopholes for individuals from already-banned countries to gain entry using secondary passports, a concern that has fueled the proposed restrictions, the VIC article said. 

According to reports, Caribbean leaders have expressed surprise and concern. They noted a lack of formal communication from the U.S. government. 

Antigua and Barbuda’s embassy in Washington sent a diplomatic note on March 15, 2025, expressing deep concern about the reports requesting clarification. 

The note also stressed Antigua and Barbuda’s alignment with U.S. Treasury sanctions policies and rigorous vetting for its CBI program.

According to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, there is no treason to restrict travel” from Antigua and Barbuda. 

Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew highlighted ongoing reforms to the country’s CBI program, while Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip Pierre and Dominica’s leadership echoed these sentiments. 

33 other countries are being considered

The leaked memo also lists thirty-three other countries up for consideration including, ngola, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 

Countries on this new list, including the four Caribbean nations, have a 60-day window to meet stringent U.S. vetting and cooperation standards or face full or partial entry bans.

On a June 4, 2025, a presidential proclamation imposed full or partial travel bans on 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. 

Caribbean & African nations targeted

Critics, according to the VIC article, including civil rights organisations, argue the policy disproportionately targets African and Caribbean nations, echoing criticisms of the 2017 Trump-era travel ban, which faced legal challenges before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. 

Twenty-five African nations are under review, including Nigeria, Egypt, and Ghana.

For the Caribbean region, leaders worry that restrictions could devastate their tourism industry, which is vital to their economies.

However, the State Department noted that the list is a draft, subject to change before reaching the White House. 

It was called a review in a March 17 statement from spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. 

“A review is not a ban,” Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador, Ronald Sanders, said.