By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net 

THE US Embassy  said its designation of Nassau to process Haitian visa applications does not alter who The Bahamas allows to enter, stressing admission decisions rest entirely with Bahamian authorities.

“We completely defer to the government of The Bahamas on making the decision about who to allow into the country,” consular section chief Carina Canaan said on Guardian Radio’s Morning Blend yesterday. “We understand that it is a national security calculus, and we defer to them. We will deal with the reality, and we’ll give information to Washington based on the reality, but we defer to them.”

The comment comes after the US State Department listed Nassau as a processing site while routine visa services in Port-au-Prince remain suspended amid Haiti’s instability. Ms Canaan noted Nassau has long handled Haitian applications — both for residents of The Bahamas and Haiti — and said the designation reflects operational realities, similar to arrangements that saw Warsaw process Russian applicants and Bogotá handle Venezuelan cases.

The US paused issuance of new visas to Haitian nationals on June 9, citing security conditions and overstay rates. The suspension primarily affects non-immigrant categories such as visitor and student visas, with limited exceptions for certain immigrant visas, particularly family reunification. 

“Haitians who already had valid visas, those weren’t canceled,” Ms Canaan said. “So, Haitians who had valid visas and were outside the US as of June 9 are still able to travel to the US. That decision is made at the discretion of our Customs and Border Protection officials.” 

She added: “There’s not a total ban on entry of Haitian nationals to the US. It’s a suspension of issuing new visas, with the exception of certain immigrant visa categories.”

Ms Canaan said the embassy’s priority remains ensuring appointment availability for Bahamians and residents, adding that expedited requests can be accommodated and that non-resident third-country nationals may apply subject to limited availability. She encouraged the public to rely on official sources such as travel.state.gov for updates.

Last week, the Office of the Prime Minister said Washington’s June restrictions mean there will be “no additional entries to The Bahamas for the purpose of US visa applications”. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis reiterated that Nassau will not be used as a venue for Haitian visa processing, noting Haitian nationals already require Bahamian visas and that entry rules are under review, with further tightening expected.