British High Commissioner to Jamaica Judith Slater says while the “vast majority” of Jamaicans applying for visas to the United Kingdom (UK) are successful, consideration would be given to removing the requirement entirely if individuals would refrain from overstaying and causing difficulties.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Monday ahead of her end-of-tour departure in mid-September, Slater, the first woman to serve as Britain’s top diplomat here, said the visa requirement has been “the thorn in the side of the bilateral relationship” between Kingston and London.

“There were a lot of people overstaying and causing difficulties for the UK at the time when the regime was introduced in 2003. So this is something that is under review, it will be reviewed again and, of course, nothing would make me happier than for there to not be a visa requirement because it makes the flow of people back and forth even easier, but the vast majority of Jamaicans who apply for a visa do get one and it would be great if the people who overstayed who were sort of spoiling it for the rest of them back in 2003, if we could be assured that that wouldn’t happen, then consideration would be given to lifting the visa regime,” she told the Observer.

Pointing out that the UK has visa regimes on other countries Slater said: “We try to make the process as smooth and as seamless as possible, and it takes about three weeks normally to get that visa.”

She noted that the Jamaican Government has made numerous approaches to have the requirement lifted.

“This is something the Government looks at and it’s under fairly constant review. Every few years there is a very detailed review of the countries for which we have a visa regime; we recently imposed one on Trinidad, for example. It is something that is looked at, but there is certain criteria to be met,” the diplomat said.

In the meantime, she said there have been regular conversations with Jamaica’s Foreign Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith and Constitutional Affairs Minister Marlene Malahoo Forte, with the latter’s “main concern being about access to justice and access to the Privy Council”.

“We have been lobbying on that and there is a commitment to look at that seriously. There has been an undertaking that no Jamaican who needs a visa to go to the Privy Council will be denied one, but that’s obviously not the same as saying you have to get a visa.”

At the same time, she said the issue has never been stalemated.

“I do think we have made some progress. What happened with that is that the British Government changed a year ago. We were making some headway with the previous Government. This Government has, however, said they are going to have a proper serious look at it. So I consider that to be a positive thing, but I can’t give any undertaking that the visa regime will be lifted on x or y date because it will be dependent on a number of different things being reviewed and being seen to have significantly changed,” she pointed out.

The UK Standard Visitor Visa is the most common option for tourists and short-term visitors. It allows stays of up to six months for various purposes, including tourism, business, and family visits.

Overstaying is a criminal offence under UK immigration law and can lead to detention, fines, and a re-entry ban of up to 10 years. Late visa applications can be made for individuals who have overstayed, considering that they have a valid reason, with clear evidence, such as a medical emergency or bereavement. Individuals have 30 days to leave the UK voluntarily after their visa expires to reduce the risk of harsher penalties.

In 2003 the British Home Office, in an explanatory memorandum tabled in the British Parliament, said there was “compelling evidence that Jamaican nationals associated with criminal activity are causing significant harm to the UK by exploiting the requirement of not needing a transit visa to enter and remain in the UK illegally”. It said there were “also significant numbers of Jamaican nationals overstaying and working in breach”, hence the visa requirement.

The high commissioner is the UK Government’s representative in a Commonwealth nation. The head of mission is responsible for the direction and work of the high commission and its deputy high commissions and/or consulates, including political work, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.