ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) — Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt  Skerrit on Thursday said he hopes the United States (US) would “at the soonest opportunity” reconsider its visa restriction policy that has affected a number of Dominicans seeking medical treatment and educational opportunities in the North American country.

Skerrit recalled that in February this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that Washington would review by June of this year the visa arrangement.

“It is for them to do that, and it’s not for us to do that. We believe from our standpoint in engaging officers of the US Government that Dominica, and I would also speak on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda, would have taken all of the actions that we believe, though not officially by official note from them, but we believe that would have taken all of the actions that would cause the United States to reconsider its position on the visa restrictions of Dominican citizens and Antiguan and Barbudan citizens,” Skerrit told a news conference.

In an executive order issued last December, President Donald Trump said that, apart from Dominica, nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Haiti would also be affected by the immigration policy.

Trump had said that during his first administration, he had restricted the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to prevent national security and public safety threats from reaching US borders.

He said that some of these countries have offered citizenship-by-investment (CBI) without residency requirements, which pose challenges for screening and vetting.

Under the CBI programme, several Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, offer citizenship to foreign investors in return for making a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of these countries.

Trump said both Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have “historically had CBI without residency” and that the entry into the United States of nationals of these two countries as immigrants, and as non-immigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is suspended.

He said consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other non-immigrant visa issued to nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica “to the extent permitted by law”.

Skerrit told reporters that while Roseau has been holding discussions with Washington on the issue, “it’s not a decision for the Government of Dominica to make”.

“Now, one understands in the scheme of things in this world and with the issues occupying the minds of the United States Government at this time, you would also appreciate where they would place such a matter,” he said, adding, “And so we do hope and urge the United States of America that we have had longstanding cultural and family ties.”