US Embassy requests permission for 8th relief flight

With Guyana further extending its COVID-19 emergency measures, including the closure of the airports to incoming commercial flights, the United States Embassy in Georgetown has requested permission for another relief flight to repatriate its citizens stranded here amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a notice on the Embassy’s website, “the US Embassy in Guyana requested authorization for a commercial relief flight on Saturday, June 6th, operated by Eastern Airlines, departing at 3:30 p.m. from Cheddi Jagan International Airport with direct service to Miami International Airport.”
It was noted that US citizens, legal permanent residents, and third-country nationals with a valid visa or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTAs) for transit will be eligible to purchase tickets directly from the Eastern website.
During a virtual interview with local online entity, News Source Guyana, Chief of the Consular Section at the US Embassy, Karen Wiebelhaus, disclosed that special permission for this flight was sought on Wednesday, after the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) announced the day before that the emergency measures would be extended until June 17.
Since the closure of Guyana’s borders, including its two international airports, in March, the US Embassy has been successful in seeking special permission from the NCTF to have seven relief flights to date to take home American citizens and their families.

In fact, the Mission has assisted over 1000 US citizens as well as others, including Canadians and British citizens, to fly to the US.
Wiebelhaus explained during the interview that the consulate team at the US Embassy worked tirelessly to complete and expedite as many visa transactions as they could have before the Department of State ordered worldwide suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She noted that for persons who are expected to fly within a specific timeframe, such as immigrant visa holders, seats had been set aside for them on the past seven relief flights.
Immigration (permanent) visa has a six-month limit from date visa is granted, during which holders are required to travel – something which has been challenging for Guyanese, especially with the closure of the airports.
“We recongised that we had a number of immigrant visa holders that could possibly be stranded in Georgetown. We did everything we could to expedite their cases, and we made arrangements so that on the seven commercial relief flight that we requested special permission from the Government of Guyana to operate – we made sure that space was available for those immigrant visa holders so that they could travel to the United States and successfully emigrate.
“Unfortunately, there were a few individuals that were caught out for various reasons, and we’ll continue to work with them so that we can get them on their way,” she stated.
The Consular Chief added that if the six months’ limit expires for any immigrant visa holder, then that person needs to contact the embassy at [email protected] in order to get guidance on the way forward, which would include reapplying for the visa.
These immigrant visa holders would also have to look at the expiry date for their medical examination, and if this is expired, then a new medical would have to be obtained. The same goes for the police clearance as well.
Wiebelhaus further pointed out that validity of these two documents will determine whether a person would have to go back into the Embassy to have their visa reprinted.
Meanwhile, with regards to non-immigrant visa applications that are pending, it was explained that the visa fee is valid for one year, and so persons with appointment dates can reschedule their appointments online to a later date. The same applies for immigrant visa applicants who also have appointment dates upcoming.
On the other hand, for those Guyanese who are stranded in the US on a non-immigrant visa, that is, tourist/visitors’ visa, and were unable to travel back to Guyana before their approved stay period was up due to the closed airports, they would need to make contact with the US immigration via their website, or apply for an extension of stay. This also applies for those who are approaching their stay limit.
However, this service carries a fee of some US$300, which some Guyanese who are stranded in the US say is too high a cost to pay.
There are over 100 Guyanese currently stranded across the US, and they have been pleaded with the Guyana Government to grant special permission for them to return for weeks now. However, last week, the NCTF announced the approval of some 300 Guyanese to return from the US and other countries.
Nevertheless, Wiebelhaus went on to say that the Consular officers at the Embassy would consider the circumstances of the pandemic for those who have lengthy stays in the US when they go in for renewal of their visitor’s visa.
“I just want to reassure… that our Consular officers will definitely take into consideration the pandemic as a reason why someone has a rather lengthy stay…,” the Consular Chief posited.
With the embassy closed and staffers working remotely, Wiebelhaus said it is unclear when visa operations at the Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown office would return to normalcy, since this is a decision that would have to be taken by the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington.