The United States Department of State has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Saint Lucia.
An immigrant visa is issued to a foreign national who intends to live and work permanently in the United States. It differs from a non-immigrant, or tourist visa, which is issued to foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States temporarily for tourism, business, medical treatment and certain types of temporary work.
The decision was outlined in a memo circulated on January 14, which said the suspension is part of a broader effort to clamp down on visa applicants deemed likely to become a “public charge”.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the State Department stated:
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
Saint Lucia is listed among several Caribbean nations named in the memo. Others include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Just days ago, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre sought to assure the nation that the US visa policy toward the island was unchanged.
During his New Year’s address on Sunday, the prime minister said: “As of today [January 11], there has been no information given to the Government of Saint Lucia regarding any changes in the United States’ visa policy for Saint Lucians wishing to travel to the United States.”
There is a faint hope Pip will now understand that no matter how low he kow-tows to Trump, regarding the acceptance of third-party deportees, it will never be low enough for Trump.
Straighten up that spine, man, and try to recover some modicum of dignity in the eyes of your fellow citizens!
This is where St.Lucia and others had to focus on strong representations overseas for their embassies. The pappyshows they have in new York and Washington, and the others are part of the problem. These people can barely speak. They can’t write a letter, they don’t know what they doing. Now we need people to stand and this is what we get.
@ anonymous Saint Lucia and the other Caribbean Islands could of sent Nobel laureates in Literature as their Ambassadors , it wouldn’t of made a difference. Trump is purely transactional , what do we have to offer Trump? Nothing really.
So why is that your country that is accepting the refuses migrants and that they belongs or have a country ????
Wake-up st lucians !!!!!!
We under no circumstances can accept foreign deportees that are not St. Lucians. That’s a red line that can’t be crossed at all.
@ Realist you eh making any sense. You describe Trump as purely transactional when Caribbean responses have been lackluster , non reactive and pitiful. Work for the money. These situations highlight how ineffective and insignificant these representations are. I agree with this person’s assessment, although I would go a step further and argue that they are ineffective on the home front too. These crises show what a nation is made of and who they entrust to give voice to their concerns. One has respect for how a man fights, not always whether he wins or not. You all are useless. End of.
I am neither SLP nor UWP – however as the old saying goes – in 758 you already have enough that you can’t handle – do you really believe you can deal with what is to come. Please do yourselves a favor and leave well enough alone for real.