Jamaicans confused after US visas suddenly revoked

Two Jamaicans whose US visas were revoked before their expiration dates, say they have been left confused, embarrassed and searching for answers about what may have triggered the decisions.

The individuals told THE STAR that they received notifications informing them that their visas had been revoked, despite both insisting that they had never overstayed, worked illegally in the US or knowingly breached the conditions of their visitor visas.

For Roy*, who works a regular corporate job in Jamaica, the first omen came through an email.

“I honestly thought it was a scam. I read it about three times because my visa still had years left on it,” he said. “Then I started checking to see if the email was legitimate and that’s when it really sank in.” Roy said he had travelled to the US roughly once or twice per year for vacations, shopping and to visit relatives, and had always returned to Jamaica, where he lives and works.

“You naturally start going through everything in your head trying to figure out what could have caused it,” he said. “If there is something on their system that caused this, I would genuinely like to know what it is.”

Roy fears the situation could eventually affect his professional life.

“I’m in corporate Jamaica and opportunities can come up that involve travelling for conferences, meetings or training,” he explained. “I don’t know what happens now if something like that comes up.”

Lisa*, a Jamaican beautician, said her “belly drop” when she realised that the notification she received was legitimate.

“I just sat down and said, ‘But what me do?’” she said. Like Roy, Lisa said she has been mentally retracing her previous trips in search of an explanation.

“Did I stay too long one time? Did immigration ask me something? Did somebody report me? You start thinking about everything,” she said.

Lisa said she travelled when she could afford to, primarily to visit relatives, shop and vacation. She denied working in the US, saying her livelihood and clientele are firmly based in Jamaica.

“When it’s time to come home, I come home. I have my work here, my clients are here. I can’t just disappear and leave my customers,” she said.

Both lamented the stigma surrounding persons who lose their visas, as they are seemingly always assumed to be in the wrong.

“Nobody thinks maybe the person genuinely doesn’t know,” Lisa said. “When nobody tells you why, you’re going to speculate,” she said.

Under US regulations, a visa may be revoked even while it remains within its original validity period. The US Department of State has previously stated that authorised officials may revoke visas based on concerns about possible ineligibility and that a revocation notice may not necessarily include an explanation of the underlying reason. The department has said questions surrounding eligibility can subsequently be addressed during a new visa application and interview. The State Department separately lists several grounds that can make a person ineligible for a visa, including certain criminal or drug-related activity, fraud or material misrepresentation, and previous unlawful presence in the United States. The existence of those grounds does not establish why either Roy’s or Lisa’s visas were revoked.

Both Lisa and Roy said they are uncertain about reapplying.