Submitted 10th January 2026
I recently travelled to the US embassy in Barbados for the purposes of renewing my US Visa application.
For those of you who are wondering why I would even bother to do that, my appointment had been booked and paid for before the Trump administration’s recent visa restrictions and bond requirements had been announced.
My ticket was non-refundable and decided I would take the trip to garner what I could from it and bear witness to the experience.
Note that this was a visa renewal not a first time visa as I had travelled to the USA several times before, stayed for much less than the legal limit and returned home or to the country I departed from each time.
In 2025 in person interviews were made a requirement for many countries including Dominica.
Prior to this it was possible to receive a waiver where you only submit your application online and then mail your passport to the US Embassy and have it returned to facilitate visa approval.
This was very convenient and practical for those seeking a renewal who had shown they had very little risk of overstaying or harming the US or violating their laws based on the applicants personal record.
Fast forward to January where Dominica is now one of a number of countries many of them with CBI programmes that have been slapped with visa restrictions and mandatory travel bonds.
In the case of Dominica this mandatory bond would take effect on 21st January 2026.
I prepared for my interview by researching the requirements and responses looking up information provided by ex-visa officers and experts in the field on how to approach and respond to interview question to ensure a more positive response.
With this in mind I took my interview that I guess was about 3 minutes (they do not typically allow electronic devices or time pieces into the interview).
I was asked standard questions that showed my history, that there was no risk of overstaying, having visited and left the US several times and intending to do the same again.
At the end I was given two yellow slips stating that this was the reason according to current law why your visa was (not) approved.
Throughout the interview I repeatedly had to ask the interviewer to repeat what they were saying as her voice was low (there was a glass cage between us) and even when she used the intercom words got regularly cut off including the “not” part of your visa was (not) approved.
Which means I actually heard that your visa was approved and only understood what the officer actually meant after reading the two yellow slips.
Even with that, all things considered, the outcome was not that surprising but the manner in which it took place was unexpected and abrupt. She did not ask for my job letter or bank statements, which I came prepared with, or any supporting documentation; things that might validate my visa request based on their requirements.
I offer my experience to inform and warn people of the current visa situation for countries facing visa restrictions. Notably there was hardly anyone at the embassy.
I saw one or two people exit or leave but there was not a single person in the queue when I entered the building. This is the very first time I have experienced this at the Embassy having gone to renew my visa previously.
Speaking to a Grenadian who was successful in his application (Grenada is not currently on any list) , he said that they (The Embassy) were treating St. Lucians and Dominicans very badly.
In my case, the officer just gave me the slips and walked away and could not even look my in the eye.
My sense was it was not something she wanted to do but she (and presumably the other visa officers) were likely told behind the scenes to outright deny visas from these countries despite the slightly more nuanced public communication on the matter.
Below are the documents I received from the Visa officer.
Despite the wording inviting applications to try again it is ultimately a waste of time and money. I was unable to refund my ticket to Barbados, but for those planning to apply for or renew their visa it seems they are turning away everyone once you are on their list.
