ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The Antigua and Barbuda government is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to get the United States (US) to review its visa restriction and visa bond programme as they affect Antiguans and Barbudans.

Under the programme, the US State Department said visa bonds may be required from certain business/pleasure (B1/B-2) visa applicants who are nationals of countries with “high overstay rates, deficient information sharing, insufficient identity verification and criminal records, and that need improvement in the area of screening and vetting and the security of travel and civil documents, including in the granting of citizenship.”

The policy requires certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants to post financial bonds ranging from US$5,000 to US$20,000 as a condition of entry