St Kitts & Nevis wants Canada to drop a visa requirement imposed over previous concerns about the type of people being granted citizenship under the Caribbean island nation’s investment program.
Canada imposed the visa restriction in 2014, when St Kitts also received a warning from the U.S. over the running of the CIP.
Since then, St Kitts has elected a new government which has completely overhauled the program, winning plaudits from the International Monetary Fund for the robust due diligence it has introduced.
St Kitts and Nevis CIP requirements
Real estate
Investment of $400,000
Processing fee of $50,047 (main applicant), $25,047 (spouse and/or children)
Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation
Investment of $250,000 (single applicant, increases with family members, see here)
Processing fee of $7,500 (main applicant), $4,000 (per dependent aged over 16)
But the visa restriction for travel to Canada still exists.
St Kitts government officials including Prime Minister Timothy Harris say they have been holding meetings with Canadian ministers aimed at lifting the visa restriction.
Officials say the meetings were frank and open and that they were hopeful changes were potentially forthcoming.
Benefits of St Kitts and Nevis CIP
- Visa free travel to Schengen Area
- Visa free travel to Switzerland, UK and Ireland
- No minimum residence requirements
- Simple Procedure with minimal government formalities
- Option to include family members in the application form
- No income or wealth tax
- Option to reside in any of 15 Caribbean countries
- Lifetime citizenship
Harris blames the previous administration for being ‘too footloose and fancy free with the processing of our citizenship’.
“We believe that we have now one of the strongest due diligence mechanisms,” the Prime Minister said in April.
“I will go so far to say that, because we have nothing to hide, we are prepared to open up for scrutiny to any well-meaning international partner, for them to see what we have done, the transformation and reforms that have been effected by this administration, and how they have made us stronger and better for it.”
General Information: Contact us to receive more information about this article.
Interested Investors: Kindly complete the following form and we will contact you to discuss your global residency and citizenship investment options.