Caribbean governments have little power to lobby US to adjust new visa fees - attorney

 

Immigration attorney Wayne Golding believes regional heads will have little to no bargaining power if they intend to press the United States to adjust the newly added fees for a US visa.

 

As set out in the recently passed 'Big Beautiful Bill', all temporary visa applicants, including Jamaicans, seeking to travel to the US on a visitor's, student or work visa, will be required to pay an extra $250. 

 

For Jamaicans, this is in addition to the regular fee of $185, for a total of $435. 

 

Mr. Golding says the 'America First' position and hardline stance on immigration issues by the Trump administration provides little room for a favourable result for Caribbean governments. 

 

"Diplomatic negotiations are always on the table and are always to be made use of. But the reality of the world that we're living in today is that it's going to have very, very little impact. What's the quid pro quo? What is it that we would offer America on our side of the bargaining table? Because when you're bargaining, you have to have something of value that the other side sees for themselves. Whether it's actual physical value or it's a social value or whatever. And I think the points that would be made by home governments right now to the United States would be very weak in comparison to what they're trying to achieve with this 'America First' policy," he reasoned.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Golding believes the move will not significantly affect visa application figures. 

 

"To a captive audience with no choice, if you want to apply for a visa to travel into the United States, then you will have to comply and pay these fees. So the question is whether it's going to weed out those who can't really afford to pay for a visa and most likely would be people that they would expect to come to the United States and not return. It's just one of those sort of unwritten litmus tests. I personally don't think it will weed out Jamaicans who actually want to apply for a visitor's visa because they want to go...and they're going to pay whatever it takes for them to go. And as I said, the point of view of the administration as well, if you can't afford to pay for it, well, we don't want to have you here anyway. So that's the take it or leave it attitude that's out there," the immigration attorney explained.

 

Mr. Golding was a guest Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106 FM.