Mexico Joins Jamaica, The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, Belize, And Other Caribbean Countries In Facing Significant Travel Changes And Potential Visa Delays This Year As The Us Imposes A New Visa Policy And Biometric Entry Exit System

Published on February 4, 2026

Mexico joins Jamaica, nan Dominican Republic, Cuba, nan Bahamas, Belize, and different Caribbean countries successful facing important recreation changes and imaginable visa delays this twelvemonth arsenic nan U.S. imposes a caller visa argumentation and biometric entry-exit system. These countries are adjusting to caller U.S. regulations, including mandatory biometric scans astatine departure points and updated visa processing procedures. The preamble of nan biometric entry-exit system, which includes facial nickname and stricter visa vetting, is expected to create delays and disruptions successful travel. As travelers from these nations hole for nan upcoming changes, they must navigate these caller protocols, which are aimed astatine improving information but whitethorn complicate nan recreation experience. The displacement marks a pivotal infinitesimal successful U.S. migration and information policy, peculiarly impacting Caribbean nations that person agelong had robust recreation ties pinch nan U.S.

Mexico: Navigating a Complex Border Transition

Mexico is facing nan astir analyzable logistical situation erstwhile it comes to nan U.S. Biometric Entry-Exit System. With millions of travelers crossing nan U.S.-Mexico separator daily, nan preamble of Biometric Exit via facial nickname astatine awesome onshore ports for illustration San Ysidro and Laredo is simply a monumental shift. Mexican nationals, including those pinch Border Crossing Cards (BCCs), will now person to acquisition biometric scans upon leaving nan U.S. These changes are expected to origin congestion astatine land-border crossings, particularly arsenic travelers set to nan caller process.

The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup successful Mexico and neighboring U.S. cities is expected to summation postulation significantly. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is prioritizing nan deployment of nan Traveler Verification Service (TVS) cloud-based strategy to grip nan surge. This strategy will guarantee that biometric information matches travelers’ identities, moreover erstwhile they time off without biometric scans. This measurement is designed to place “ghost” departures wherever travelers time off without biometric verification, helping to forestall visa overstays.

Jamaica: Embracing Digital Passports and Exit Compliance

Jamaican travelers must adhere to caller biometric exit regulations arsenic nan U.S. strengthens its personality verification protocols. Starting successful 2026, Jamaican nationals will beryllium required to usage biometric passports (with nan ICAO e-passport symbol) to walk done Simplified Arrival lanes astatine U.S. airports. These integer passports alteration facial nickname to lucifer travelers’ passport photos pinch their unrecorded image during nan presence process.

In summation to biometric exit rules, Jamaica has been placed connected nan migrant visa region database effective January 21, 2026, owed to precocious nationalist assistance utilization rates. While this mightiness complicate recreation for Jamaican nationals, it is important to statement that this will not effect tourer visas (B1/B2). Jamaican tourism, a important root of U.S. visitation, whitethorn look disruptions, but this strategy besides helps guarantee that travelers’ identities are accurately verified.

Bahamas: Streamlining Travel pinch Enhanced Biometric Entry-Exit Systems

The Bahamas is adopting nan U.S. Biometric Entry-Exit System to further streamline its recreation processes and heighten security. Starting successful 2026, travelers departing nan Bahamas for nan U.S. will beryllium taxable to biometric exit procedures astatine awesome departure points, including Lynden Pindling International Airport successful Nassau. This strategy will require travelers to acquisition facial nickname scans astatine nan airport, allowing for seamless departure processing. This inaugural is expected to make introduction and exit procedures much efficient, yet improving nan traveler acquisition betwixt nan Bahamas and nan U.S.

With its proximity to nan U.S. and vibrant tourism sector, nan Bahamas is anticipating affirmative outcomes from nan implementation of these biometric systems. The caller rules are expected to person a minimal effect connected leisure tourism, arsenic astir travelers from nan Bahamas sojourn nan U.S. for short-term vacations, pinch nan convenience of faster departure procedures astatine airports being a cardinal benefit. As nan Bahamas’ tourism assemblage continues to retrieve from erstwhile disruptions, nan U.S. biometric system’s expertise to streamline nan activity of travelers will beryllium a invited alteration for some visitors and business travelers. Additionally, these enhancements to biometric information will thief guarantee that travelers’ identities are verified much accurately, reducing imaginable information risks.

Belize: A New Era of Biometric Data Sharing

Belize has taken a important measurement toward modernization pinch a Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) pinch nan U.S. In January 2026, nan U.S. provided Belize pinch $250,000 successful backing for biometric hardware, ensuring that Belize’s ports of entry, including Philip Goldson International, are integrated pinch U.S. Department of Homeland Security databases. This collaboration allows for seamless biometric information exchange, allowing Belizean officials to vet travelers earlier they depart for nan U.S.

For visitors visiting nan U.S. from Belize, this business brings benefits specified arsenic real-time biometric sharing. Belizean migration officers now utilize fingerprint-based enrollment to cross-check travelers against U.S. criminal and migration records. This strategy helps place imaginable risks early, ensuring that only vetted travelers proceed pinch their travel to nan U.S.

Cuba: Facing New Restrictions Amid nan Biometric Shift

Cuba faces nan astir restrictive U.S. recreation conditions successful decades. Under Presidential Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026), caller B1/B2, F, M, and J visas for Cuban nationals are severely constricted aliases suspended unless circumstantial nationalist information exceptions are met. This argumentation is intimately tied to nan U.S. government’s ongoing concerns complete Cuba’s power successful nan region, importantly restricting nan expertise of Cuban nationals to participate nan U.S. for tourism aliases business.

The preamble of nan 2026 Biometric System now plays a pivotal domiciled successful enforcing these recreation restrictions. Any traveler (including Europeans aliases Asians) who has visited Cuba since January 12, 2021, will beryllium flagged and permanently rendered ineligible for nan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). They will request to acquisition afloat visa interviews astatine U.S. consulates, making recreation for Cuban nationals much cumbersome.

Dominican Republic: Embracing nan U.S. Biometric System for Secure Travel

The Dominican Republic remains an important partner successful nan Seamless and Secure Travel initiative, but travelers from nan land federation will now beryllium required to taxable biometric information upon exit from nan U.S. Facial nickname astatine U.S. departure gates will go mandatory, helping nan U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) way overstays. This is portion of nan ongoing effort to support debased overstay rates, which is basal for nan country’s imaginable early inclusion successful nan Visa Waiver Program.

For Dominican nationals pinch cleanable biometric records, location is simply a metallic lining. The U.S. is expanding its Global Entry and Trusted Traveler programs to let faster, much unafraid recreation for business and leisure travelers who support a affirmative record. This inaugural is expected to amended nan recreation acquisition for business professionals and boost tourism betwixt nan U.S. and nan Dominican Republic.

Travel Changes Already Faced and Upcoming Challenges for These Countries

Countries for illustration Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, and Belize are undergoing important shifts successful recreation protocols owed to nan U.S. government’s implementation of nan caller Visa Policy and Biometric Entry-Exit System, group to afloat rotation retired successful 2026. These countries person already knowledgeable disruptions specified arsenic visa issuance pauses (e.g., for Jamaican and Cuban nationals) and nan implementation of biometric exit systems astatine awesome airports and onshore crossings, affecting travelers’ introduction and exit procedures. As these countries hole for nan afloat deployment of nan Traveler Verification Service (TVS) and mandatory facial nickname scans astatine U.S. departure points, travelers will look longer processing times, particularly astatine high-traffic points for illustration nan San Ysidro separator successful Mexico. Cuba has been peculiarly affected by nan recreation restrictions nether Presidential Proclamation 10998, severely limiting visa approvals, while nan Dominican Republic and Bahamas are moving to comply pinch biometric exit policies to streamline security. The upcoming changes could lead to visa delays and accrued scrutiny, making it captious for travelers to enactment updated connected nan caller rules to debar disruptions.

Mexico joins Jamaica, nan Dominican Republic, Cuba, nan Bahamas, Belize, and different Caribbean countries successful facing important recreation changes and imaginable visa delays this twelvemonth owed to nan U.S. caller visa argumentation and biometric entry-exit system.

Conclusion

Mexico joins Jamaica, nan Dominican Republic, Cuba, nan Bahamas, Belize, and different Caribbean countries successful facing important recreation changes and imaginable visa delays this twelvemonth arsenic nan U.S. imposes a caller visa argumentation and biometric entry-exit system. These caller measures, including biometric scans and stricter visa processing, are group to reshape recreation betwixt these nations and nan U.S. While nan extremity is to heighten information and amended search of travelers, nan displacement is apt to origin disruptions and delays, peculiarly astatine cardinal separator points and airports. As these countries set to nan changes, travelers will request to enactment informed astir caller procedures to navigate nan evolving scenery of U.S. recreation and migration policies.