BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A recent statement by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shown marginal increases in citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis overstaying their visa in that country.
Providing statistics for all countries within all categories, the DHS report for 2016, which covered the period October 2015 to September 2016, shows that over 200 people from the Federation overstayed their permitted time, which denotes one of the lowest overstay rates among the six independent OECS countries.
According to the report, a total of 12,115 persons with tourist or business visa were expected to leave but 280 of them overstayed their time. However, from that amount, 18 of them had left the country but 262 others have remained.
With regards to student and exchange visa during the same period, the report indicates that 225 persons from the Federation were expected to leave the United States, but while five had left after overstaying, 10 are still believed to be residing in that country.
The report disclosed that those figures indicate a 6.67% of the total students who had overstayed and a 4.44% of those still being in thzt country.
Similar numbers were recorded for 2015, with 11,387 persons with B1/B2 visa were expected to depart the United States; however, 237 of them overstayed their time and they are suspected to still be residing in that country – with an additional 17 that have departed after overstaying.
That has taken the count to 254 persons who overstayed their allotted time in the country or 2.23% of the number of persons who were expected to the leave the United States of America.
The Fiscal Year 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report provides data on persons crossing through the borders and also those who overstayed their time.
The report indicates that non-immigrants overstaying in the North American country was over 740,000, 287,107 of which came from countries that needed visas for entry.
In 2014, 10,667 were expected to depart the country. However, the DHS statistics shows that 224 were suspected to have overstayed their time and were still in the USA, while 19 persons who would have stayed pass their permitted time would have left, taking the total to 243.
Many citizens and residents of countries within the Caribbean have made the United States their top travel destination, and a large number of them have reportedly been involved in marriage of convenience so as to acquire jobs.
Current President of the USA, Donald Trump has vowed to clamp down on illegal immigrants, whom he claimed are affecting the job market there.
He went a step further to propose building a border wall to keep Mexicans from crossing over into the United States.
SKNVibes understands that while overstaying in the US is not a criminal offence, those who overstay for more than 180 days, but less than one year, could be barred from re-entering the country for three years from their date of departure.
And those who overstay for more than one year could be barred from entering that country for 10 years.
