Seven Reasons to Consider Caribbean Citizenship

The five main Caribbean countries offering Citizenship by Investment programmes are St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada. Each country has its own costs and differs slightly in requirements, but on the whole, all these options have similar benefits and offer an excellent solution for those looking to gain a second passport and citizenship. Read on to find out the major benefits of these options.

1.Speed
These programmes offer a quick a simple route to citizenship. In most cases, applications are approved with three to four months following the date of submission, which is much quicker than most other citizenship programmes which can usually take around 6-12 months.

2. Cost
St Lucia and Dominica work out to be the lowest cost option for single applicants at just under $140,000, including all costs. Antigua is a popular route for families which works out at approximately $180,000 for families of four, depending on ages.

3. Visa Free Travel
The list of visa free countries that you can travel to using these passports is ever increasing. St Kitts allows the passport holder to travel to 151 countries worldwide, and Dominica 137.

4. No Requirement to Reside
Most of the countries have no minimum stay requirements. Antigua requires a minimum stay of 5 days in 5 years, which can be simply achieved by taking a short holiday during your first five years and enjoying the countries beautiful beaches and culture.

5. Lifestyle Property
It is possible to gain citizenship through either a donation to the government fund or by investing in a government approved real estate project. In most cases these are shares in hotels or condos in a touristic resort. Many options come with a few week’s usage for the owner each year, which is ideal for clients who are looking to also enjoy some time in the country they have invested in.

6. Full Family
Every jurisdiction allows the main applicant to include their spouse, dependent children and dependent parents. Dependent children can be included up to the age of 30 years old in Dominica, Grenada and St Kitts which is ideal for families with older children, who would not be accepted in other countries.

7.Access to USA
Because Grenada holds a visa treaty with the USA, Grenadian passport holders therefore have the right to apply for the E2 visa which enables one to live, work and study in the USA. To apply for an E2 visa, applicants need to invest into a US business which they own at least a 50% share of. There is no official minimum investment amount stipulated, however it is advisable to invest approximately $150,000+ to ensure an application is successful. The process will take roughly 3 months and applicants will be issued with a 5 year residency visa with unlimited renewals.