Overstaying in United States can lead to lifetime ban – US embassy warns

In a warning, the United States (US) Embassy in Georgetown has cautioned individuals holding US non-immigrant visas about the severe consequences of overstaying their allotted time in the US. Overstaying a visa could lead to a permanent travel ban, according to a statement published on the embassy’s social media page on Tuesday.
The embassy emphasised that visa holders must abide by the terms of their visas and adhere to their designated duration of stay. For visitors, the most common visa — the B1/B2 — allows for a stay of up to six months. However, visitors must depart before this period expires. Failure to do so could result in serious repercussions, including being barred from entering the US for life.
Additionally, the Embassy noted that US consular officers have access to comprehensive immigration histories, ensuring that any violations, including overstays, are flagged.
“Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations. There is no such thing as an “honest mistake” – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly,” the Embassy indicated.
The warning comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal immigration by the US Government. Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, there has been a significant increase in immigration enforcement actions. This includes raids across US communities, particularly those with large Guyanese and Caribbean populations. The embassy’s warning is part of this intensifying enforcement against illegal immigration, which also includes a halt on asylum seeker processing.

In February, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, attempted to quell fears regarding mass deportations, assuring the public that deportations would remain routine, a practice that has been ongoing for decades. She further assured that there will be no mass deportation of Guyanese who might be illegal in the US.
“We’ve always had routine deportations of citizens all over the Caribbean and all over the world, and that’s not something new. But you won’t be seeing something like you’ve seen for Colombia or some of the other countries of large groups; that’s not something that would be happening for Guyana. It would just be a routine process that’s been going on for decades,” the US diplomat told journalist at the Guyana Police Force’s Annual Officers’ Conference held on February 26.
Deportees
Meanwhile, the Guyana Government has assured that any Guyanese deported from the US will be accepted home upon proper verification, which is geared towards ensuring that individuals are indeed Guyanese to avoid other nationalities being deported to Guyana.
With such operations ongoing, the Government of Guyana is closely monitoring how this may affect migration patterns in the region. In fact, Commander-in-Chief, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, has already tasked the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) with overseeing this shift in the movement of people.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Annual Officers’ Conference on February 26, the Head of State stated that while Guyana remains sympathetic to those leaving their countries to seek a better life here, migration must happen in a lawful and structured manner.
“There is no way you can leave this Officers’ Conference without analysing the shift in the global situation. Every country must manage their borders and people must legally enter your border… Every country has that right to secure its border, secure its environment and the laws provide for illegal immigrants to go back. But that scenario must be analysed now in our region because as more immigrants come into our region [after being deported from the US] …it adds pressure on the regional systems…”
“When you are looking to move because of social conditions and whatever, what do you look for: which is the next best destination. And if they pick up all the international newspapers and see the fastest growing economy is Guyana, they see that Guyana is short on labour, they see Guyana’s construction is expanding; then we have to understand that we have a problem that can very well approach us quickly – it is already approaching us. We have to now strategise, and the only strategy we can win with is greater regionalisation and international partnership on this matter,” President Ali said.