Symmonds: ‘Abundance of other avenues’ despite US visa halt

Barbadians and most CARICOM nationals hoping to migrate to the United States have been hit by an indefinite suspension of immigrant visas under a sweeping new policy announced by the US State Department that affects 75 countries worldwide. 

But Minister of Foreign Affairs Kerrie Symmonds has urged calm, assuring nationals that Barbados’ “highly regarded and globally respected” brand continues to afford citizens “an abundance of other excellent options” for relocation elsewhere.

The US State Department said the countries placed under the immigration suspension were identified because their nationals “take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates”.

“The policy will only affect a Barbadian national if he or she is seeking to immigrate or relocate to live in the United States,” Symmonds told Barbados TODAY on Wednesday. “Effectively, what has happened is that, until further notice, there is a blanket suspension of immigrant visas to allow the State Department to reassess its screening and vetting procedures.”

The pause in processing will apply to all but three CARICOM member states – Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It includes Brazil, Colombia among five South American nations and much of Africa. 

The suspension applies to immigrant visas, such as those for employment in the US, and will begin next Wednesday, a US official said. 

The pause does not apply to non-immigrant visas like student and tourist visas, and as such would not apply for those seeking to travel to the FIFA World Cup in the US this summer. 

The pause comes after the State Department last year directed increased scrutiny under the “public charge” provision of immigration law, meant to target those who the Trump administration believes will become a strain on public resources. 

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement Wednesday. 

“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

A number of the countries impacted by the visa processing suspension were already included as part of the administration’s expanded travel ban list. 

The foreign minister emphasised that the new measure does not affect non-immigrant or tourist visas. It is grounded in the “Public Charge” provisions of US law, which allow authorities to deny visas to applicants likely to become a financial burden on the state. 

Symmonds said: “Simply put, that means that the consular officer processing the visa application has formed the opinion that there is a  likelihood that the applicant, will be, at some point, be reliant on United States public benefits; whether those benefits be healthcare, housing, financial assistance or some such.”

He argued that the move should not come as a surprise, noting that “the administration projected its intentions from a very clear perspective even before assuming office”.

Caribbean immigrants in the US have relatively high labour-force participation — around 67 per cent, above the US‑born rate — but households headed by immigrants from the Caribbean also show elevated overall welfare use, with one major study putting it at about 51 per cent for immigrant households compared with 30 per cent for US natives. 

Within the region, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica have been identified as among the largest contributors to unauthorised and economically vulnerable Caribbean migrant populations in the US, with Cuba also a significant source, according to publicly available immigration figures. Together, these four countries account for nearly 90 per cent of Caribbean‑born immigrants in the US. 

By contrast, Barbados is a relatively small origin country and does not feature among the main sources of immigrants associated with high “public charge” risk, with migration from Barbados and other Eastern Caribbean states more often characterised by skilled and tertiary‑educated emigration. 

In domestic policy terms, Barbados has also differentiated itself from some regional rivals by rejecting a Citizenship by Investment model in favour of a more controlled and reputation‑sensitive approach to citizenship and residency, a stance often cited by officials as part of protecting the country’s international brand.

The foreign minister described the US action as a “sweeping policy approach that suggests that all of the applicants across the almost 80 affected countries, constituting almost half of the world, will, in all likelihood be effectively the same and therefore, they will all be likely in some way to impact the public purse of the United States”.

He continued: “We must be mature enough as a people, to recognize that everyone will not see us or treat with us in the same way, and it is the right of those who view us  through a different lens, to exercise their own border regulations in the manner that they see fit. 

“Fortunately, we have over the life of this administration, rebuilt the Barbados brand and we are once again a nation that is highly regarded and globally respected, and therefore, our citizens who might, for whatsoever reason, wish to relocate, still have an abundance of other excellent options.”

Most visa holders are already restricted in what public benefits they can receive. For example, green card holders must often wait five years to access food assistance, non-emergency Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programme (CHIP).