8 CBI Countries on Leaked US Travel Ban List

Several Caribbean nations offering citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs appear on a draft list of countries whose citizens may face travel restrictions to the United States, according to recent reports from major news outlets.

While the US government has made no official announcement regarding these potential restrictions, both The New York Times and Reuters have published accounts citing anonymous sources and internal documents.

Neither publication has released the purported document in full.

According to these reports, the Trump administration is reportedly considering the implementation of a three-tier travel restriction system that will affect dozens of countries.

Caribbean CBI Nations Listed

According to The New York Times, which cited “officials familiar with the matter,” several Caribbean nations offering citizenship-by-investment programs appear on what the publication described as a “yellow” list.

The Times reported that the US would give the countries on this list 60 days to address perceived security concerns or risk facing more severe restrictions.

The Caribbean nations reportedly included on this list are:

• Antigua &Barbuda
• Dominica
• Saint Kitts & Nevis
• Saint Lucia

Reuters, which claimed to have seen an “internal memo,” also listed these same four Caribbean nations among countries that could face partial visa suspensions if they “do not address deficiencies” within a specified timeframe.

Kevin Hosam, Founder and Chairman of EC Holdings, notes a curious omission in the reported lists. “It’s puzzling that Grenada, which also operates a CBI program, is absent from these reports,” Hosam points out. “This inconsistency raises questions about the criteria being used for these designations.”

He notes that the Caribbean CBI nations have “demonstrated significant compliance with requests from the US, UK, and EU.”

Hosam highlights that the nations have implemented “substantial reforms over the past two years,” and it points out that many of the reportedly “red-listed countries are already banned from applying to Caribbean CBI programs.”

The Case of Vanuatu

Vanuatu, which operates a prominent citizenship-by-investment program outside the Caribbean region, was also included on the “yellow” list reported by both publications.

Vanuatu has already faced significant restrictions from other major jurisdictions. In July 2023, the UK revoked visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens, citing “clear and evident abuse” of its CBI program.

More recently, in November 2024, the European Parliament voted to permanently end Vanuatu’s Schengen visa waiver privileges, following a temporary suspension first imposed in March 2022.

Reported Concerns

Neither publication specified the exact nature of the US administration’s concerns with these nations.

However, The New York Times, citing anonymous officials, reported that issues for countries on the “yellow” list could include “failing to share with the United States information about incoming travelers, purportedly inadequate security practices for issuing passports, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries, which could serve as a loophole around the restrictions.”

The list included four Caribbean CBI nations, Vanuatu, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia, all of which have their own version of a CBI program.

However, Hosam says there are notable “inconsistencies that raise questions about the rationale behind these selections.” He highlights the case of Bhutan as an odd addition while emphasizing that the omissions of Grenada, Egypt, and Turkey “suggest other factors may be at play beyond just CBI concerns.

This potential US action follows a series of regulatory developments in the Caribbean CBI sector.

Since 2023, the Caribbean Five have been engaged in discussions with the US Treasury Department, agreeing to implement six principles, including enhanced due diligence procedures and the suspension of applications from Russians and Belarusians.

According to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean nations have fully implemented four of these six principles and are progressing on the remaining two.

Hosam points to what he sees as a disconnect in international approaches: “Caribbean nations have banned Russian and Belarusian applicants while these applicants remain eligible for various investment migration programs elsewhere, including the US EB-5 program. This raises questions about consistency in how these concerns are being addressed globally.”

Discrepancies Between Reports

There were notable discrepancies between the countries listed by each publication:

• The New York Times listed 43 countries across all three tiers, while Reuters listed 41.
• Russia appears in The New York Times’ “orange” tier (countries facing severe visa restrictions) but is absent from Reuters’ report.
• Mali and Zimbabwe are included in The New York Times’ “yellow” tier (countries given 60 days to address concerns) but are absent from Reuters’ list.
• East Timor appears in Reuters’ list of countries facing potential partial suspension but is not present in The New York Times’ reporting.

Draft Status

Both publications emphasized that the reported lists remain in draft form.

The New York Times noted that “officials at embassies and in regional bureaus at the State Department, and security specialists at other departments and intelligence agencies, have been reviewing the draft,” while Reuters quoted an anonymous US official who “cautioned there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration.”

The New York Times reported that the administration gave the State Department 60 days from January 20 to complete a report identifying countries “for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries,” making the deadline sometime next week.

“We need to better understand what diplomatic efforts these nations are undertaking to address concerns from larger countries,” Hosam suggests. “Before drawing conclusions, it would be valuable to hear directly from Caribbean governments about whether they’ve been notified of any pending changes to their visa status.”

He ponders whether CBI is an actual issue that would trigger the reported travel ban, asking: “How many CBI citizens are actually getting US visas with their Caribbean passports?

He says if any specific individuals with these passports pose security concerns, “why grant them visas in the first place?”

Hosam also questions whether the targeting of smaller nations might reflect broader geopolitical dynamics and that “one has to wonder about the criteria being applied when predominantly smaller, developing nations appear on these lists while larger countries with similar programs don’t face the same scrutiny.”

The New York Times reported that “spokespeople at several agencies declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment” but added that the State Department said it was following President Trump’s executive order and was “committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”

Reuters reported that “The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.”

The reports come after President Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring increased security vetting for foreigners seeking admission to the United States.