Greene Confirms Ongoing Diplomatic Engagement With U.S. Over Visa Restrictions

The government of Antigua and Barbuda remains engaged in ongoing diplomatic discussions with the United States following recent changes to U.S. visa processing, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene said Monday.

Speaking on Government in Motion, Greene confirmed that discussions are continuing with senior U.S. officials, including meetings held on Monday and further talks expected involving Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

“The government of Antigua and Barbuda continues to engage the U.S. government with respect to this privilege,” Greene said.

He said he met earlier in the day with senior officials from the U.S. Embassy and that further engagement is planned. “I would have met today, just today, coincidentally, with top U.S. officials from the Bridgetown embassy,” he said.

Greene reiterated that existing U.S. visas held by Antiguans and Barbudans remain valid and unaffected by the recent developments. He said the current measures apply to first-time applicants while Antigua and Barbuda works with U.S. authorities to align biometric and screening systems.

“Persons, first-time applicants, will have to wait until we can regularize our biometric processes or line them with the United States,” Greene said. “We have an outside date of 90 days to work with them to get this happening.”

He cautioned that the 90-day period does not guarantee an immediate reopening of visa processing. “Be reminded that 90 days and the imposition of new biometric processes does not necessarily mean or equate to an automatic opening of the process,” he said.

Greene acknowledged the United States’ sovereign authority over its immigration policies, stressing that visa issuance is not an entitlement.

“A visa is not a right, it’s a privilege extended by the issuing country,” he said.

He said the government has been advocating for consideration of the practical reasons Antiguans travel to the United States, including education, medical care, business and family connections.

“Antiguans travel to the U.S. for a couple of reasons — vacation, medical, education, commercial purposes, business,” Greene said. “Every Antiguan family has somebody in the States.”

Greene urged the public to remain calm and avoid politicising the issue, noting that similar measures have affected dozens of countries worldwide.

“It is entirely a U.S. call,” he said. “This is nothing more than a foreign policy posture change on the part of the United States government.”

He expressed confidence in continued diplomatic engagement and the work being led by the prime minister and Antigua and Barbuda’s diplomatic mission in Washington.

“I remain confident in my staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Greene said. “I remain confident in the ability of the Prime Minister to lead this, because this is being led by the Prime Minister as head of the country.”

Greene said the government will continue discussions with U.S. officials during the 90-day period and monitor developments closely.

“I wrote an article two weeks ago in which I said, ‘This too shall pass,’” Greene said. “Either it passes and we return to the status quo, or it passes and it is maintained as a new norm. Either way, we will have to get accustomed to what comes our way.”

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