The news that some Grenadians would no longer have to travel to the US Embassy in Barbados to get their visas renewed swept through the island like wildfire on Thursday 7 September 2018. 

The announcement, which was made during a Press Briefing on the said morning by US Ambassador to Grenada, Linda Taglialatela, was praised by many and of course, queried by some. 

According to Ambassador Taglialatela, some of the rules and restrictions will still remain in place. But, the news of not having to travel to Barbados only applies to those persons whose Visa has expired within the last 12 months and those who have current Visas. “What the United States has done is approved for the people of Grenada, a waiver for the renewal of Visas, which means people do not have to come to Barbados to get their Visa renewed, they can do it online by filling out the Visa application, submitting the appropriate documents and then couriering their passport to Barbados.”

An official release from the US Embassy stated, “As part of the United States Government’s continuing efforts to improve customer service and streamline the visa process, the US Embassy is pleased to announce the implementation of interview visa waivers in Barbados for qualified applicants wishing to renew their US visas, effective September 10, 2018.

Grenada passport holders, with the exception of beneficiaries of the citizens by investment programs, may qualify for a visa renewal interview waiver if their previous visa expired within the past twelve (12) months and they are applying for the same visa category as their previous visa.”

The Release reiterated that “eligibility for interview waiver does not automatically entitle applicants to a waiver of the interview requirement. Meeting the general qualification for visa renewal interview waiver does not guarantee that an applicant will not be requested to present him or herself in person for an interview at the Embassy.”

Notably too, persons wishing to make their first application for the US visa, must be present at the Embassy Barbados unless advised otherwise.  

Students and persons on work related visa who satisfy the requirements may also qualify for the interview waiver. Also, applicants under the age of 14 and over 79 will continue to qualify for interview waiver in most visa classifications. 

Additionally, she went on to say, “Under our Caribbean Strategy 2020, one of the things [is that] we want to improve and enhance that relationship, and we want to continue to inspire people to travel between our two countries and learn about the cultures and the people of those countries.”

Ambassador Taglialatela insisted that this initiative is one that her government believes would encourage the warm and welcoming relationship between Grenada and the United States. It is their hope that this initiative will encourage more persons to want to travel to the United States.