Observer Story – False and Misleading
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, E. Paul Chet Greene, categorically rejects the article published on page 14 of the Antigua Observer on January 5, 2026, which alleges that a student visa was cancelled as a result of Presidential Proclamation 10998 and contrary to assurances given by the Government that visas issued before January 1, 2026, would be respected.
Following direct inquiries, United States authorities have confirmed that the case described has nothing to do with the Presidential Proclamation. The applicant did not qualify for a visa under Section 214(b) of U.S. immigration law.
As is standard practice, an indication of approval at the interview does not constitute final U.S. visa issuance. All applications undergo mandatory post-interview vetting, including checks routed through Washington, D.C. It is during this process that applications may be refused if statutory requirements are not met.
No visa was issued in this case. Had the application been refused under the Presidential Proclamation, the applicant would have received a different refusal notice expressly citing that legal basis. That did not occur.
Additionally, the photograph published in the article—purporting to show a cancelled visa—was examined and found to be entirely unrelated. It depicts an application from India for an H-1B work visa, not a student visa, and bears no connection to the alleged Antiguan case.
The Ministry is therefore compelled to conclude that the article is false and deliberately misleading, constructed to suggest—maliciously—that visas approved or issued prior to January 1, 2026, were not being honoured.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda stands by its statements: validly issued visas are respected. The article’s claims are not supported by facts and should be treated accordingly.
