Antigua CIP Opens for Sibling, Grandchildren Dependents, Cuts Fees for Adding Future Family Members

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Barely two weeks after Saint Kitts & Nevis’ CIP became the fourth Caribbean CIP to allow for sibling dependents, Antigua & Barbuda has followed suit. All Caribbean CIPs are now open for sibling dependents.

Yesterday’s circular from the Antigua & Barbuda CIU, however, offered more good news than merely the inclusion of sibling dependents; fees on adding spouses, children, and aged dependents after-the-fact have also been sharply reduced. Furthermore, even the future spouses and future children of a dependent child of the main applicant may now be included in the application.

The circular informed stakeholders of the following changes to the definition of “dependent” and to the fees for adding them to applications post-hoc:

a) A current spouse of the principal applicant;
b) A child of the principal applicant, or of his or her spouse, who is 0-30 years of age and who is financially dependent on the principal applicant;
c) A child of the principal applicant, or of his or her spouse, who is 18 years or older but who is physically or mentally handicapped and who is living with and is fully supported by the principal applicant;
d) A parent or grandparent of the principal applicant, or of his or her spouse, who is 55 years of age or older and who is financially dependent on the principal applicant;
e) A sibling of the principal applicant, or of his or her spouse, if unmarried;
f) A future spouse of the principal applicant, A fee of US$50,000 is payable upon application;
g) A future spouse of dependent children where the dependent child is financially dependent on the principal applicant; and
h) A future child of a dependent child. A fee of US$10,000 is to be payable for children under 5 years of age and US$20,000 for children 6-17 years of age.

Cabinet also approved the following:

• The fee to add a child shall be US$10,000 for children under 5 years of age and US$20,000 for children 6-17 years.
• The fees for the addition of adult dependents shall be reduced from US$75,000 to US$50,000.
• There shall be no time restriction on when a dependent may be be added to an application.

Antigua & Barbuda’s changes have brought the Caribbean CIP-market full circle within two years as regards expansions of the dependent definition. The Saint Kitts & Nevis CIP earlier this month became the fourth Caribbean CIP to accommodate sibling-inclusion in applications, following the introduction of such policies in Grenada in 2018, and in Dominica and Saint Lucia last year.