Citizens of the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis can now travel to Brazil without a visa, according to a recent announcement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Brantley.
“The work started under the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Patrice Nisbett and I am pleased that I was able to see its conclusion as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. I wish to commend the Government and people of Brazil for granting this privilege to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Brantley in an official statement.
SKN nationals can travel visa-free to 131 countries, an attribute that makes it attractive to investors looking for alternative citizenships. The St. Kitts and Nevis passport is ranked 24th in the world, and the addition of hassle-free travel to Brazil is only going to increase its popularity.
The citizenship by investment program run by the country is its main source of revenue, allowing an investor to purchase St. Kitts and Nevis passport in exchange for an investment of US $250,000.
However the scheme came under fire last November when the Canadian government imposed a visa requirement for St Kitts passport holders due to alleged security breaches. The US also issued security warnings claiming there were “illicit actors” who were abusing the St Kitts passports to evade economic sanctions.
Brantley said that the CBI program is undergoing major revision that will “satisfy the legitimate concerns of our friends and allies”.
“Canada now has a partner in Basseterre it can depend on and the Prime Minister has made it clear that this is a priority for this new Administration,” said Brantly.
The minister has also stressed that St Kitts is committed to continue the CBI program and the government plans to take a “top to bottom review of the program to be certain that the safety and integrity of the program are maintained”.
Source: thestkittsnevisobserver.com