Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on the United States to reconsider travel restrictions affecting Caribbean citizens, warning that the measures could hurt trade and long-standing ties between the region and Washington.

Browne made the remarks while addressing the 78th Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority in Antigua and Barbuda, where he is serving as incoming chairman of the regional body.

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration imposed visa restrictions on nationals from several countries in the region.

On January 21, the US Department of State added Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Cuba to a list of countries whose nationals will be required to pay a visa integrity bond ranging from US$5,000 to US$15,000 when applying for B1/B2 visitor visas. 

On April 2, Grenada was placed on the visa bond list.

The measure was introduced due to concerns over high rates of visa overstays among nationals from those countries, according to the State Department.

That same month, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Cuba and several other Caribbean countries were also included on a separate list of nations whose nationals immigrant visa applications would be paused over concerns that they could place a significant financial burden on the United States government. 

Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and the Dominican Republic were the only Caribbean countries not included on that list.

Browne acknowledged Washington’s right to determine its own border security policies but said those decisions should consider the close economic and social links between both regions.

“We acknowledge the sovereign right of all states to determine their border security policies. We ask only that such rights be exercised with due regard for historically close and mutually beneficial relationship, and for the concrete economic consequences that flow from these restrictions,” he said.

“We need to ensure that the diaspora here in the Caribbean, and certainly our people in the United States, can move freely. They have familial relations and from time to time they need to engage their family, birthdays, anniversaries. So these restrictions are backward-looking.” 

He said Caribbean countries have historically been important partners for the United States, arguing that restrictions on movement can also have economic consequences for American businesses.

Browne pointed to US trade with the wider Latin America and Caribbean region, noting that the United States recorded a services trade surplus of almost US$40 billion in 2024.

“Our people purchase American goods, use American financial services, and send their children to American universities. We are beneficial partners for the American economy, not adversaries to be restricted,” he said.

The prime minister argued that when Caribbean businesspeople are unable to travel to the US for trade meetings, negotiations and commercial events, American companies can also lose opportunities.

“When OECS business people cannot travel to the United States to attend trade fairs, negotiate contracts, and build commercial relationships, it is American exporters and service providers who lose orders,” he said.

However, Browne stressed that the region shares many of Washington’s security priorities, including combating drug trafficking, organised crime and improving governance.

“We too want to make sure that we have safe and secure societies. We look forward to continued engagement with the United States, confident that stronger travel, trade, and people-to-people ties will further strengthen our long-standing partnership to the mutual benefit of our peoples. Again, these engagements are mutually beneficial,” Browne said.

“We are asking the United States to reconsider the position on Caribbean countries that they have considered for many years as their third border,” he added.