The United States has moved to permanently establish a visa bond program for nationals of 50 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and Cuba.
The new rule took effect on Monday, following a draft notice published in the Federal Register that confirmed the administration's decision to make the requirement permanent after a nearly year-long review.
This development represents a significant hardening of US entry requirements, moving beyond temporary measures to a codified policy.
The bond program imposes financial obligations on travelers from these jurisdictions, aiming to mitigate immigration risks associated with visa overstays.
The inclusion of Caribbean nations alongside Cuba highlights the broad geographic scope of the new restrictions.
The move follows a fresh diplomatic effort by the government of Antigua and Barbuda to persuade the United States to remove the twin-island nation from the recently imposed visa restrictions and bond programme. Despite these diplomatic overtures, the US administration concluded that the permanent measure was necessary, signaling a limited appetite for exemptions in the current policy framework.