On 6 November 2020, the Citizenship by Investment Unit of St. Kitts and Nevis published new guidelines by which foreign investors can include their siblings in Saint Kitts citizenship by investment applications. Terms and conditions apply as we will explain later in this blog. However, this is great news for anyone wishing to secure citizenship for siblings. This change in St. Kitts and Nevis CBI comes into effect immediately meaning since the announcement investors can add brother or sister to St. Kitts Citizenship application.
The new benefits of Saint Kitts citizenship by investment
Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit announced that as of now, applicants can include siblings when applying for St. Kitts CBI. Applicants who wish to avail of this opportunity, must meet certain criteria, including:
- The sibling included on the application must be a brother or sister of the main applicant or his/her spouse.
- He or she must not have any children.
- The applicant must prove that the sibling is financially dependent upon the applicant.
- The sibling is aged below 30
- The sibling is not married.
If the applicant and sibling meet all the above criteria, the investor can add their sibling by paying additional fee of US $40,000 under the real estate option or US $20,000 under the Sustainable Growth Fund, (or Limited Time Offer).
What happens when you add siblings to your Saint Kitts citizenship investment applications?
Now when applying for St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program, investors may include their siblings or their spouse’s siblings.
When examining applications, the St. Kitts CBI authorities will carry out a background check on all people on the application form, including the siblings. Additional due diligence fees are payable for all the siblings included on the citizenship by investment application. Finally, the applicant must submit a sworn affidavit confirming that the sibling is financially dependent and reveal the reason for this financial dependence.
The clear guidelines pave the way for the immediate immigration petition for brother and sister, making the St Kitts citizenship by investment program all the more attractive.
Can siblings be added retrospectively?
Soon after the CIU announcement, investors wanted to know whether successful St. Kitts CBI investors can obtain a St. Kitts passport for their brother or sister without having to lodge a fresh application. And although the Citizenship Investment Unit was keen to point out the new Saint Kitts Citizenship benefits, the new guidelines do not allow applicants to add a brother or sister retrospectively even if they meet all the criteria.
Only new participants can include siblings in the Saint Kitts citizenship investment applications.
St. Kitts is the fourth Caribbean nation to grant citizenship to siblings
With this change in CBI policy, St. Kitts and Nevis follows Grenada, St. Lucia, and Dominica. Slight differences exist in the criteria, for example in relation to the age of the qualifying sibling. In Dominica, siblings must be under 25, in St. Lucia under 18, and in Grenada between 18 and 30.
Not all the afore-mentioned Caribbean countries allow applicants to include the siblings of the applicant’s spouse like St. Kitts does.
Saint Kitts CIP citizen sibling immigration likely to boost application numbers
Already, the St Kitts citizenship by investment scheme ranks among the world’s most popular and this policy update is likely to further bolster its popularity among investors.
This year’s global climate of uncertainty has seen many investors seeking refuge through the acquisition of citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis and beyond.
The St. Kitts CIP is going from strength to strength benefiting the small Caribbean island nation as well as the many happy new citizens. With the latest policy update, citizenship for siblings has just got a whole lot easier and the St. Kitts CIP has bolstered its appeal even further.
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