Buy a home, get a passport: Caribbean nations offer easy citizenship
Alongside travel benefits, the absence of taxes like inheritance, capital gains and, in some cases, income tax, makes the schemes appealing to high-net-worth individuals. Citizenship can be gained without giving up existing nationality.
American demand drives property sales surge
In Antigua, estate agencies are seeing a notable uptick in demand. 'Up to 70% of all buyers right now are wanting citizenship, and the vast majority are from the US,' said Nadia Dyson, owner of the real estate firm Luxury Locations to BBC. 'This time last year, it was all lifestyle buyers and a few CBI. Now they're all saying 'I want a house with citizenship'. We've never sold so many before.'Some buyers are choosing to relocate, despite no residency requirement. Others are treating the second passport as a fallback plan.
From travel freedom to political backup
As per the report, investment migration firm Henley & Partners said that US citizens now make up the majority of applicants across the Caribbean CBI schemes. Ukraine, Turkey, Nigeria and China also rank high.'Around 10-15% actually relocate. For most it's an insurance policy against whatever they're concerned about. Having a second citizenship is a good back-up plan,' said Dominic Volek of Henley & Partners.According to him, some Americans prefer using a 'politically-benign passport' for business and security reasons. The first wave of US interest started after COVID-era travel restrictions, followed by renewed surges after the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Controversy and criticism follow the windfall
Not everyone has welcomed these schemes. Gisele Isaac, former Speaker of the House in Antigua, recalled early protests when the programme was introduced. 'There was a sense of nationalism; people felt we were selling our identity, so to speak, to people who knew nothing about us.'Neighbouring leaders like Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines have voiced opposition, saying citizenship should not be 'a commodity for sale.'
International scrutiny and reforms underway
The European Union is currently evaluating whether these schemes pose risks to its visa-free agreement with the Caribbean nations. A European Commission spokesperson said an ongoing review will determine if the programmes constitute "an abuse" of visa privileges or lead to security risks.In response, the five island nations have agreed to six new principles with the United States, including enhanced due diligence, mandatory interviews, regular audits, and removing loopholes that previously allowed rejected applicants to reapply elsewhere.Caribbean leaders insist the programmes are tightly managed and vital for economic stability. Dominica's Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the system as 'sound and transparent', and said over $1 billion had been raised since 1993. Funds were used to finance a modern hospital and national infrastructure.In Antigua, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said passport revenue helped pull the country from 'the brink of bankruptcy'. St Lucia's Prime Minister Philip J Pierre assured that the island applies 'the highest standards of security'.
Citizenship without moving in
Aside from buying property, citizenship routes include contributions to government funds. These range from $200,000 for a single applicant in Dominica to $250,000 for families in Dominica and St Kitts. In Antigua, applicants may also donate $260,000 to the University of the West Indies.
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2 minutes ago
- Economic Times
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First Post
3 minutes ago
- First Post
Why Trump's public order to reposition nuclear submarines near Russia is concerning
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India.com
3 minutes ago
- India.com
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The Middle East remains a focal point of global attention due to ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran. The two long-time enemies just reached a temporary state of peace after a conflict for 12 days. In a serious situation like this one, all eyes and ears are focused on their military posturings and arms purchases. However, in this state of discontent, there is one country that is neither at war nor has any enemies. It is Kuwait. Even with Kuwait identifying itself as a nation of peace, they have started to invest heavily in weapons. Interestingly, Kuwait has now reached a new milestone by agreeing to cooperate with China to make these weapons on a mass scale. In particular, the important defense project between Kuwait and China—an ammunition manufacturing factory —is near completion and is expected to be unveiled shortly. This was announced by Kuwait's Deputy Defense Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Mashal Al-Sabah. According to The TimesKuwait, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Mishaal Al-Sabha, stated that a joint ammunition manufacturing facility for light and medium calibers is nearly completed and will be operational soon as part of larger cooperative projects with China. As reported in the Kuwait Times, Sheikh Abdullah made the statement at an event arranged by the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait on the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Sheikh Abdullah described the project as a milestone in military cooperation between the two nations and explained that the scope of several military training programs, which started in 2019, is expanding yearly. While details of the factory location and other information has not been publicly disclosed, there is speculation that this factory will produce light and medium-grade munitions. Importantly, Kuwait has been a close military partner of the United States. During the Gulf War in 1991, a coalition led by the United States freed Kuwait from the Iraqi army. Currently there are about 13,500 American military personnel and 2,200 MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles in Kuwait Even though Kuwait has a good relationship with the United States, there is an orientation towards China. In 1995 it was the first Gulf state to sign a military agreement with China. Since then, China has provided Kuwait 155mm artillery guns and People's Liberation Army (PLA) naval teams have visited Kuwait three times. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Kuwait was the 10th largest arms importer in the world from 2020 to 2024, with a 466% increase in imports. The U.S. accounted for 63% of Kuwait's arms during that time. An intelligence agency known as Tactical Report states that China has also offered to address most of Kuwait's defense needs with no conditions. However, it is unclear if this fact is independently verifiable.
