The Tribune

By DONETTE RUSSELL-LOVE

THERE'S a difference between a country's performance and the policy labels placed on it.

Performance is what the numbers say after real adjudications, real interviews, and real outcomes. Policy labels are what governments say when they group nations into broad "risk" categories—often without explaining the criteria, the weighting, or the path back out. That gap—between performance and policy—is where trust breaks, and right now, The Bahamas is caught in that gap.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Adjusted Refusal Rates by Nationality - Fiscal Year 2024, The Bahamas has a refusal rate of only 12.8%. In plain terms, nearly nine out of 10, or 87%, of immigrant visa applicants in the Bahamas are approved.

Countries like Japan, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, and most Western European nations historically have high immigrant visa approval rates, often above 90%. Yet, The Bahamas is on the list immigrant visa “pause” list with an  87% immigrant visa approval rate,  while none of these countries are on the list?… Huhh?

Bahamians are showing up, documenting their eligibility, and clearing the U.S. government's own screening process at exceptionally high rates. Yet The Bahamas has still been placed on a sweeping 75-country immigrant visa pause list, effective January 21, 2026—on the theory that it is "high risk" for public charge concerns.

What is a public charge? Well, INA 212(a)(4) basically allows the government to deny a visa or green card if they think an applicant is likely to become "primarily dependent on the government for subsistence" in the future.

So, if "high risk" can describe a country where 87% of applicants are successfully vetted and approved, we are no longer talking about performance. We are talking about optics and arbitrary exclusion.

The Caribbean, and the optics you should not ignore

The Bahamas is not alone. Of the 75 countries on this pause list, 11 are Caribbean nations—including Haiti, Jamaica, Barbados, and others.

The demographic pattern is impossible to ignore.  An analysis of the US Department of State “ immigrant visa pause” list, (Jan 2026), cross-referenced with regional demographic data for the 11 impacted Caribbean countries, reveal that 91% of these paused Caribbean nations are predominantly of African descent.  Whatever the intent behind the policy, the impact is clear—this list lands heavily on Black-majority countries in America's near neighborhood. In a region with a long memory of being characterized through stereotypes rather than data, this effect matters.

The United States has every right to manage its immigration system, but it has a responsibility to ensure its tools are not producing distorted, discriminatory outcomes.

The most striking irony for Bahamians is that the narrative behind "public charge" risk does not match what most Bahamians actually do. Most Bahamians are not looking to relocate to the United States permanently. They have homes in The Bahamas. Children in Bahamian schools. Businesses. Church communities, and  Family land.

What many do need—especially after a national trauma like Hurricane Dorian—is access. Access to medical specialists. Access to short-term care. Access to mobility that keeps families stable. When infrastructure is strained, travel becomes a practical necessity—not a plan to immigrate, and certainly not an attempt to become a "drain" on the system.

If the goal is a secure, fair immigration system, the solution is not sweeping lists. The solution is transparency, calibrated decision-making, and respect for the data, especially when that data shows compliance.

How about a little diplomacy for your partner?

Diplomacy isn't only what leaders say in speeches. It's what ordinary people are supposed to experience at the US consulate window. When Bahamians see a high approval rate on one hand  for immigrant visas, and a sweeping "high risk" label on the other, it doesn't feel like governance. It feels like an assault on the Country’s  brand, like a risk of reputational harm, and like a threat to the country’s economic sustainability as a tourist destination.

About the Author

Donnette Russell-Love, Esq., is a leading immigration advocate and cross-border legal strategist based in Plantation, Florida. She is the founder of Donnette Russell-Love, LLC, and Immigration Care Service, LLC advises individuals, families, and businesses navigating U.S. immigration and high-stakes mobility matters.