By: Staff Writer
March 18, 2025
Several Caribbean countries have written to the US State Department asking for a clarification on yellow list travel bans due to hiring Cuban doctors.
Antigua and Barbuda has formally requested clarification from the United States (US) following reports that it is among six Caribbean countries placed on a “yellow list” of nations facing potential travel restrictions.
St Kitts and Nevis has also requested clarification from the State Department on being placed on the yellow list.
Other Caribbean countries on the yellow list are St Lucia, Dominica. Cuba and Haiti are also to be affected as they are on the red and orange list, respectively.
The draft yellow list includes 22 countries, which would have 60 days to address deficiency concerns or risk being moved to another category.
Some of the issues these countries would have to address include failing to share information about incoming travelers with the U.S., inadequate security practices for issuing passports, and selling citizenship to people from banned countries.
Donald Trump’s executive order in January stated that travel bans would be reimplemented to protect Americans “from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
The State Department previously said it was following Trump’s order and was “committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”
The draft memo also lists 11 countries on the red list whose citizens would be completely banned from entering the U.S.
The draft orange list includes 10 countries whose citizens would face additional restrictions, but not an entire ban from entering the U.S.
Affluent business travelers could be permitted entry, but not individuals traveling on immigrant or tourist visas, according to The New York Times. Citizens from these countries would also be required to undergo mandatory in-person interviews.