Archer explains why residents were denied entry into the US
Deputy Governor David Archer Jr has moved to clarify reports that several BVIslanders who applied for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver have been denied by the United States in recent months.
ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the visa waiver programme, which allows citizens from jurisdictions like the BVI to enjoy travel to the United States for business or tourism without a visa.
BVI News published yesterday that there are reports of an uptick in residents being denied these visa waivers. Our news centre asked Archer to confirm whether this was true and to give reasons for the denials.
In response, Archer said: “We can confirm that a number of persons were denied ESTA visa waivers due to an issue where re-entrance to the territory was not properly recorded thus inaccurately indicating that some travellers never left the United States.”
He continued: “We have since been directly advised by United States Customs and Border Protection in order to remedy this issue. [We] have met with ferry operators to ensure that entrance into the territory is properly recorded in accordance with both Virgin Islands and United States customs and immigration protocols.”
Archer did not give our news centre the time frame in which these denials occurred. But he said for security reasons, “we are not at liberty to disclose the numbers of persons whose applications have been rejected.”
The Deputy Governor also said none of the denials was linked to “bad press” the BVI has received because of the drug trade, Commission of Inquiry findings and the cocaine scandal involving former Premier Andrew Fahie and the mother-son duo Oleanvine and Kadeem Maynard.
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I’m no detective….. sounds like smuggler problems to me.
the previous article tried to spin that the US was denying entry because of BVI’s bad rap. And now it seems that the US denied entry because of the BVI’s inept immigration processes. Hilarious and pathetic, really!
This man is a waste of time. What had he really done for the Civil servants or for the Territory? The only successful thing he had done is build up his pioneer for greatness empire. Sadly, we go out and support him, he walks away with a bag of cash. And civil servants have to fight to get their increments. Then he blames the heads of departments. But if he is doing his job the backlog would have never happened. Get out of here you …
I don’t trust this Niger.
How is it the BVI fault that the US fail to record persons leaving their territory?
You are so in a rush to bash the BVI that you didnt even think about what you have posted. The US would need to better track persons LEAVING their jurisdiction and then this problem wouldnt have existed.
@hmmm read between the lines. Persons are entering the US and there aren’t proper documentation that they are leaving indicating that they are still in the US!! then Mr. Archer went to say he cannot disclose the number of persons denied due to ” Security Reasons”. i would really like to know what these security reasons are.
It has nothing to do with BVI Immigration
Drug mules
I don’t think it is the US government that is responsible for recording your departure from the US, it is the country receiving you that does that task. I have never met with a US customs or immigration official when departing the US, just the official of the country I am going too.
expats US visa have been cancelled for this as well.
Ask how much the house cost that he is building in Apple bay,and where the money coming from.
He work and saved up he work a long time
Some people leave on their UK pasport to the US. When they return to STT, they swap over to their BVI Passport to come over. You can’t travel up on one and come home on the other. They are recodred for coming in (the US) but haven’t left because of the swap.
That’s exactly where the issue falls
Give the man a break .
Please Remember , he does play in both side,
Sometimes He is a he and other times he is confused .
I’ve been accused of over staying because of the poor paper work of the ferry companies- shoddy passenger lists.
When you use more than one passport to travel, it is only a matter of time before stuff like this happens.
ESTA is bigger than BVI, it is UK Passport needing the waiver. So tell me why aya blaming the Deputy Governor with issues with the ESTA process…
Mr. man, why people, retired and active, broke, hungry and angry, still can’t receive their increments? Wha God alyo believe in? alyo really think God goun accept alyo souls in heaven after how alyo have been treating the people? Geezeee, it has only been almost thirty years sincealyo stomachs been swelling.Yet, not one cent in increments alyo refse to approve. God help we mehson.
The man married, into a * and well known family!
…Lots of inheritance!
Don’t envy!
Emulate!!
Archer appears confused and is confusing others. The problem is multiple passport use when arriving and departing. Simply use one passport and the issue goes away.