Dominica PM Roosevelt Skerrit raised US visa restrictions with the State Department and presented officials with a proposal during talks in Washington. The department said it would take the suggestion to its principals for discussion.
Skerrit met US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau while attending the United States-Caribbean Dialogue. The proposal’s contents were not made public. A response is pending.
The principals will decide how Washington responds. Skerrit said officials committed to discussing his proposal with them before replying to the Government of Dominica. No change to the restrictions was announced after the meeting.
He said the issue ranked “top on our list of issues in the United States.” The government plans to keep engaging with Washington while it waits for a formal answer.
Skerrit said he raised the issue “very respectfully but firmly.” He also told the State Department Dominica believes there was “no basis for the imposition of the visa restrictions.”
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Feb 01, 2023 | Aug 01, 2023 ▲31d | Current |
| EB-2 | Nov 01, 2013 | Oct 01, 2021 | Apr 01, 2025 ▲90d |
| EB-3 | Jan 22, 2014 ▲21d | Jan 22, 2022 ▲14d | Jun 15, 2024 ▲31d |
| F-1 | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d |
| F-2A | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d |
The partial restrictions have applied since January 1, 2026. The measure, identified as Presidential Proclamation 10998, cited security and vetting concerns linked to Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment programme.
The restrictions reach visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas
Under the programme, Dominica offers citizenship to foreign nationals who make a substantial investment in the island’s socio-economic development. The US restrictions suspend most immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories, with limited exceptions, and shorten visa validity periods.
| Visa category | Type affected |
|---|---|
| B-1 and B-2 | Visitor visas |
| F and M | Student visas |
| J | Exchange visitor visas |
| Immigrant visas | Most categories, subject to limited exceptions |
The restrictions do not void visas that were valid before they took effect. Holders can continue to travel while those visas remain valid. New applicants may still file applications and attend interviews, although people covered by the proclamation may remain unable to obtain a visa or enter the United States.
A separate bond requirement also applies. The State Department lists Dominica among the countries covered when a national travels on a passport issued by a listed country and is otherwise eligible for a B-1/B-2 visa. The obligation applies no matter where the person applies.
The current visa-bond schedule reaches $20,000
The department’s visa-bond page gives the following implementation date and program terms. The amount is set during the visa interview.
| State Department page version | Bond amounts | Rule or authority |
|---|---|---|
| Last updated May 13, 2026 | $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 | INA Section 221(g)(3) and a Temporary Final Rule establishing a pilot program |
| Last updated October 2, 2026 | $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 | Final Rule issued August 3, 2026, under INA Section 221(g)(3) |
The department lists January 21, 2026, as the start date for Dominica. The current page describes a Final Rule, rather than the pilot program stated on the earlier version.
Applicants must wait for a consular officer to direct them to submit Department of Homeland Security Form I-352. The officer provides a direct payment link for the Treasury Department’s Pay.gov platform, where applicants agree to the bond terms. The filing and payment requirement applies regardless of the place of application.
The applicant can pay, or a third party can do so. That could be a friend, family member or business associate, and the payer may be inside or outside the applicant’s home country. The payer named on Form I-352 must match the person who makes the payment.
That payer is the obligor. If the terms are met, the deposit is returned to the obligor. Payments and refunds use US dollars, leaving the obligor responsible for exchange-rate fluctuations.
A bond does not secure visa issuance. Payments made before a consular officer gives instructions will not be refunded. Bond holders also must enter and leave the United States through designated ports of entry; failing to use them may result in denied entry or a departure that is not properly recorded.
The State Department says the overstay rates used for the program draw on B-1/B-2 figures in the Department of Homeland Security’s Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
The wider talks covered regional security and development finance
Skerrit tied the visa dispute to a broader relationship involving family ties, education, tourism, business and economic cooperation. He said opportunities to deepen Caribbean-US relations should be welcomed.
The dialogue addressed security, energy, infrastructure, investment, disaster management and trade. Dominica’s agenda also included renewable energy, organised crime, illicit firearms trafficking and access to development financing.
Skerrit called the regional discussions constructive and said the United States had made commitments to help Caribbean countries address development gaps. He welcomed a proposed role for the US Export-Import Bank, while saying financing would need favourable interest rates and repayment terms.
The Government of Dominica is awaiting Washington’s formal response to the proposal. Skerrit said engagement with US officials would continue.
