The Government of Dominica is in talks with US authorities to lift travel restrictions imposed on Dominica citizens according to latest news reports.
The Presidential proclamation 10998 signed by Trump has targeted Dominica and Antigua citizens with visa suspension for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas. Dominicans who already hold visas, greencard holders and dual citizens are not affected by the travel ban and will follow standard procedure.
Fox News Reported that Dominica Government “continues its engagement with the United States Embassy in Bridgetown and the State Department in Washington … in an effort to reverse a decision announced by the White House to impose partial travel restrictions on Dominican nationals, effective January 1, 2026,” as per Fox News.
This comes at a time when Trump administration on Monday reached a historic deal with Dominica and Antigua to start sending foreigners seeking U.S. asylum to these caribbean nations.
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the agreement as “one of the primary areas of collaboration” between the two governments following recent U.S. entry restrictions imposed on Dominican nationals.
DHS issued a policy memorandum to USCIS directing additional scrutiny of citizens holding these passports…
- on all pending benefit applications, for aliens listed in Presidential Proclamation (PP) 10998, Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect the Security of the United States, pending a comprehensive review, regardless of entry date;
- Conduct a comprehensive review of all policies, procedures, and screening and vetting
- Processes for benefit requests for aliens from countries listed in PP 10998; and
- Conduct a comprehensive re-review of approved benefit requests implicated in PP 10998 that were approved on or after January 20, 2021.
USCIS personnel are instructed to prioritize national security and public safety concerns and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations during the adjudication process. The policy refers to aliens with a nationality, country of birth, or aliens who have acquired Citizenship by Investment (CBI) listed in PP 10998. “As an example, a foreign national from a country that is subject to travel restrictions could purchase CBI from a second country that is not subject to travel restrictions, obtain a passport in the citizenship of that second country, and subsequently apply for a United States visa for travel to the United States, thus evading the travel restrictions on his or her first country.” Further, this includes aliens with varying nationalities but are traveling on a Palestinian-Authority-issued document.
