US Visa-Bond and Shorter-Validity Rules Now Reach Eastern Caribbean Travelers
Bonds of up to US$15,000, three-month single-entry visas, and new residency rules are reshaping travel and citizenship across the OECS.
A cluster of US measures is converging on the Eastern Caribbean at once: visa-bond deposits of US$5,000–US$15,000 for some applicants, shorter three-month single-entry visa validity tied to citizenship-by-investment scrutiny, and pressure that has prompted Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, and others to add residency requirements. Dominica now requires in-person passport collection for CBI applicants.
For diaspora families, the practical takeaway is that US travel from several OECS passports has become more expensive and less flexible, and CBI pathways now carry physical-presence obligations. The region is coordinating reforms to preserve program revenue while answering security and transparency concerns.
What this means for you: verify current reciprocity terms before booking US travel, and budget extra time and cost into any CBI plans.
Source: Travel And Tour World, IMI Daily.