BVI won’t adopt UK’s new visa rules for US citizens

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently moved to allay concerns that new United Kingdom travel rules for United States citizens could affect the British Virgin Islands, making it clear that the territory is not subject to the UK’s electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system.

The issue surfaced on the Talking Points radio programme after hosts cited international media reports claiming the UK’s new ETA requirement would also apply to overseas territories. They warned that such a requirement could have major implications for the BVI, where the bulk of visitors arrive from the US by air and cruise ship.

“The UK is requiring an ETA for US citizens,” the hosts said, noting that if the rule applied locally, “a majority of our tourists… would then be subject to that requirement, if it’s true.”

Premier Wheatley said he would investigate the matter further but rejected claims that the policy automatically extends to the overseas territories. Referring to a Forbes article circulating online, he cautioned against accepting the reports without verification. “That Forbes article in terms of applying to overseas territories is not accurate,” the Premier said. “So allow me to do some further research about that, but let’s not take that as gospel.”

He stressed that immigration and visa matters are devolved to the BVI and governed by local law. “I’m the minister of immigration, and of course, that’s our area devolved to the local government,” Dr Wheatley said. “We control any kind of visa restriction or anything like that that’s implemented. That’s something that’s done by legislation here in the Virgin Islands.”

The Premier added that the discussion underscored the importance of autonomy, particularly in areas tied to economic competitiveness. He warned that decisions taken in London without local input could place the territory at a disadvantage.

“If that’s not an area that was devolved to us and that we had a say in it, we would be subject to that,” Premier Wheatley said, adding that such a move could make the BVI “much less competitive” than other Caribbean destinations that offer visa-free access to US travellers.

For now, Dr Wheatley said US citizens travelling to the British Virgin Islands do not require a UK-style electronic travel authorisation, reaffirming that immigration policy remains firmly in local hands.