St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda sign visa waivers with Azerbaijan
Both Caribbean states signed agreements in New York covering every passport type, including the ordinary passports held by citizens by investment.
ReadOn December 16, 2025, the President of the United States signed a proclamation expanding US entry restrictions to a further group of countries. Two Caribbean nations were added for the first time: Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica. Both were placed on the partial restriction list, and the measures take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026.
For anyone who holds, or is considering, Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment, this is the most significant change to the passport’s value in years. It is worth being precise about what it does and does not do.
Which visas are affected
According to the US Department of State, visa issuance to nationals of the countries on the partial list is suspended for:
- B1 and B2 visitor visas, the standard visas for business trips and tourism.
- F, M and J visas, which cover academic students, vocational students and exchange visitors.
- All immigrant visas, meaning the visas that lead to a green card, or permanent residence in the United States.
Consular officers are also told to shorten the validity of other non immigrant visas issued to these nationals where the law allows. The list is to be reviewed every 180 days, which means a country can be removed if Washington is satisfied with the changes it makes.
Why Antigua and Barbuda was included
The proclamation links the restriction to citizenship by investment. US officials said both countries have historically granted citizenship for investment without a residence requirement, and that this creates weaknesses in confirming who applicants are and vetting them properly. Put simply, the concern is that someone who could not obtain a US visa on their original passport might acquire a Caribbean one and apply again.
The Antigua and Barbuda government disputes that description. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Parliament had recently passed reforms on due diligence, transparency, information sharing and enforcement, including a physical residence condition for applicants, and that the government had worked closely with several US departments over the past year. He said he would write to the President and to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to seek clarification and offer full cooperation, while the country’s ambassador in Washington, Sir Ronald Sanders, sought meetings with the State Department and the White House.
What it does not change
Several points are easy to miss in the headlines:
- Existing visas remain valid. The State Department says no visa issued before January 1, 2026 will be revoked under the proclamation. The restriction applies to people who are outside the United States on that date and do not already hold a valid visa.
- Dual nationals have an exception. A person applying with the passport of a country that is not on the list is not covered. Most people who acquire Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment keep their original nationality, and can continue to apply for US visas on that passport as before.
- US permanent residents are exempt. Green card holders are not affected.
- Other travel is unaffected. The proclamation concerns US visas only. It does not change Antigua and Barbuda’s visa free access to the United Kingdom, the Schengen area or the many other countries that admit its citizens without a visa.
- Citizenship itself is unchanged. Antiguan citizenship, the right to live there, and the right to pass citizenship to children are not affected.
What it means if you are considering Antigua and Barbuda
The answer depends on why you want the passport. If a key goal is easier travel to the United States, Antigua and Barbuda is no longer the right choice while the restriction lasts, and a US visa on your current passport, if you can obtain one, will serve you better.
If your goals are a Plan B citizenship, a second home base in the Caribbean, family coverage or broad travel elsewhere, much of the case for Antigua remains. Its US$230,000 National Development Fund route still covers a family of up to four, and its definition of family is among the widest of any program. The restriction may be lifted after a review, but no one can promise when.
We help clients weigh these trade offs, apply through authorised agents, work with our local team, and quote our fees in writing. If US access matters to you, we will say so plainly and look at the alternatives.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.
