TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had sought to allay concerns that new United Kingdom travel rules for United States citizens could affect the British Virgin Islands, stating that the territory is not subject to the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.
He was responding to media reports that the UK’s new ETA requirement would also apply to overseas territories.
The Premier said he would investigate the matter further but rejected claims that the policy automatically extends to the overseas territories. Referring to a Forbes article circulating online, he cautioned against accepting the reports without verification.
“That Forbes article, in terms of applying to overseas territories, is not accurate,” the Premier said. “So allow me to do some further research about that, but let’s not take that as gospel.”
He stressed that immigration and visa matters are devolved to the BVI and governed by local law.
“I’m the minister of immigration, and of course, that’s our area devolved to the local government,” Wheatley said. “We control any visa restriction or anything like that that’s implemented. That’s something that’s done by legislation here in the Virgin Islands.”
The Premier added that the discussion underscored the importance of autonomy, particularly in areas tied to economic competitiveness. He warned that decisions taken in London without local input could place the territory at a disadvantage.
“If that’s not an area that was devolved to us and that we had a say in it, we would be subject to that,” Wheatley said, adding that such a move could make the BVI “much less competitive” than other Caribbean destinations that offer visa-free access to US travellers.
For now, Dr Wheatley said US citizens travelling to the British Virgin Islands do not require a UK-style electronic travel authorisation, reaffirming that immigration policy remains firmly in local hands.
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