Dominica PM holds bilateral talks with the US on visa issue.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he has held discussions with United States officials on the visa restrictions Washington imposed on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) island last year.

Skerrit, who was in the United States last week for the United States-Caribbean Dialogue with United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, said he held a bilateral meeting with the US State Department.

“We discussed several issues, and of course, top on our list of issues in the United States is the visa restrictions. And so this was discussed by me and raised by me very respectfully but firmly,” Skerrit said.

“I suggested to the State Department on the visa restrictions, and of course, they have given me a commitment that will be discussed with the principals. So it is left now to them to determine how they will react to the visa restrictions in Dominica.

“But I did say to them that we hold a very firm view that there was no basis for the imposition of the visa restrictions. And I think that some in the administration would have The United States imposed partial visa restrictions on Dominica from January 1 this year under a presidential proclamation citing security and vetting concerns over its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program.

Under the CBI program, Dominica grants citizenship to foreign nationals in return for making a substantial investment in the island’s socio-economic development.

Washington said the measures suspend most immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including B-1/B-2, F, M, and J types, and reduce visa validity periods. In addition, applicants from Dominica may face mandatory refundable entry/visa bonds ranging from US$10,000 to US$20,000 under broader US bond policies targeting high-overstay or CBI-linked jurisdictions.

Skerrit said that while he is awaiting a response from Washington to the latest rounds of bilateral talks, he thinks “all in all, it was a very important meeting for us to attend.

“The United States continues to be an important ally, a developing partner here in the Caribbean, and of course, we have a longstanding relationship at all levels, whether cultural, family, students going to universities, etc., with the United States.

“And so any opportunity that is given to us to enhance and to deepen the relationship between the Caribbean and the United States would certainly be welcomed and taken advantage of,” he added.