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Stephen Black, Consul General at the US Embassy in Kingston
Stephen Black, Consul General at the US Embassy in Kingston, is reporting that hundreds of Jamaicans applying for immigrant visas have not been complying with the requirement to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This is preventing the embassy from fully processing the applications.
Vaccine hesitancy has been a sore point locally, with the issue receiving much public attention since the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, the US changed its immigration requirements to state that immigrant visa applicants must be vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of the medical exam they receive prior to visa issuance.
"When they go through the panel physician exam process, this is one of the things they have to demonstrate, and if they are not fully vaccinated then they will not get the panel physician clearance that they need in order for us to process their cases," Mr. Black explained.
He acknowledged that many people have been waiting a long time for their visa applications to be processed, however, he suggested that while they wait, it is in their best interest to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Mr. Black noted that the embassy currently has hundreds of cases before it where "the only thing that is preventing us from issuing an immigrant visa to the person is because they are not yet fully vaccinated".
He was speaking this week on Balancing Justice on Radio Jamaica.
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