Four Eastern Caribbean countries operating citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes are among 36 nations named in a leaked U.S. State Department memo outlining potential new visa restrictions, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia were identified in the memo, which was signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and circulated to U.S. diplomatic missions over the weekend. The memo reveals that the Trump administration is reviewing possible visa bans or other travel restrictions targeting these countries and others.
The Caribbean nations in question have long maintained that their CBI programmes are legitimate development strategies that include strong due diligence and security checks.
According to The Post, the memo gives listed governments 60 days to meet newly defined benchmarks. An initial action plan detailing how they intend to meet the requirements must be submitted by 8:00 a.m. next Wednesday.
A primary concern cited in the memo is the sale of citizenship without a requirement for residency. It also raises other issues, including reported instances of “anti-American activity” by nationals from the countries listed.
However, the memo also leaves room for diplomatic negotiation, noting that countries willing to accept third-country nationals removed from the U.S., or enter into a “safe third country” agreement, may be able to ease Washington’s concerns.
The list includes 25 African countries as well as several from Central Asia and the Pacific. It expands on a June 4 presidential proclamation that imposed full travel bans on citizens of 12 countries—Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—and placed partial restrictions on another seven: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The full list of nations identified in the memo includes: Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Benin; Bhutan; Burkina Faso; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Côte d’Ivoire; Democratic Republic of Congo; Djibouti; Dominica; Ethiopia; Egypt; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Kyrgyzstan; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; South Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
The White House has not issued a formal response. A spokesperson for the State Department declined to comment, telling The Washington Post that the agency does not discuss internal communications.
