Saint Lucia’s CIP Intake Nearly Halved in 2024/25 as Decisions More Than Doubled
Ahmad Abbas
August 13, 2026
A record denial rate is one of several findings, alongside a considerable fall in bond applications.
Category: Caribbean
Grenada Bill to Introduce Residency Requirement That “May Be Applied Retroactively”
Ahmad Abbas
August 11, 2026
ECCIRA would gain a veto over agent licenses, and any license granted without its no-objection notice would be null and void.
Dominica Developer Demands CBI Inquiry Into “Cancerous” Illegal Discounting
Ahmad Abbas
August 9, 2026
One Dominican developer sent the government 14 letters in seven years over illegal discounting. He says no action was taken.
Jamaica’s Investor Residency Bills Move Toward Parliament
Ahmad Abbas
August 4, 2026
Four years past the government’s own target date, the bills still carry no investment threshold and no list of qualifying assets.
EU Wants Caribbean CBI Gone Regardless of Reforms, Saint Lucia Says
Ahmad Abbas
July 29, 2026
Ernest Hilaire says Brussels shifted from fixing programs to ending them; Dominica’s opposition puts CBI at 56.7% of recurrent revenue.
Nevis Premier Says Caribbean CBI Doomed, EU “Hell-Bent” on Ending Programs
Ahmad Abbas
July 27, 2026
Mark Brantley says reform was never going to work and Malta was the warning. Part of his plan for after 2028 is a stalled project.
Antigua’s New CIP Bill Mandates Independent Audits, Raises Residency to 30 Days
Moustafa Daly
July 17, 2026
Browne frames the bill as regional housekeeping rather than a reply to Brussels. Experts agree on the timing but split on the cost.
US and CARICOM Sign Biometric Data Pact Covering Caribbean CBI Programs
Ahmad Abbas
July 15, 2026
A first multilateral biometric arrangement for DHS. It sharpens CBI vetting but leaves Proclamation 10998’s visa restrictions untouched.
Caribbean CBI States Submit Joint Response to EU “Phase-Out” Demand
Ahmad Abbas
July 11, 2026
The Roseau statement never mentions the June 2028 deadline or any refusal; its firmest language concerns the terms of “any transition.”
End CBI by June 2028 or Risk Schengen Access: EU Writes to Caribbean States, Antigua Says
Ahmad Abbas
July 7, 2026
The letter offers a 24-month transition; Browne says all five Caribbean CBI states got one and vows the program will continue.
Browne Warns Antigua Could Lose EU Visa-Free Access by Year’s End, Vows CIP Will Continue
Ahmad Abbas
July 2, 2026
If Schengen access goes, Rafael Cintron sees the Caribbean cutting prices and selling harder, Vanuatu-style, not folding.
Dominica Makes In-Person Visits Mandatory for New CBI Citizens
Nagy Szabolcs
June 15, 2026
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says successful applicants must now travel to Dominica to receive and renew their passports, ending the program’s no-visit model and moving it in step with neighboring states under US and EU pressure.
Ireland Cuts Visa-Free Access for Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, and Nicaragua
Nagy Szabolcs
June 12, 2026
From June 15, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Nicaragua lose visa-free access to Ireland. The move follows the UK and runs alongside a hardening EU stance on golden passports.
Saint Lucia Breaks CBI’s Unspoken Rule, Publishes Applicants’ Names, CIU Responds
Ahmad Abbas
June 8, 2026
A government publication has exposed the identities of more than a hundred CBI applicants. The CIU says it had no idea.
Saint Vincent PM Vows to Insulate Planned CBI Program From Political Control
Ahmad Abbas
May 31, 2026
Godwin Friday casts the program as a financing mechanism, not a growth engine, with national debt at 113% of GDP.
Dominica Strips Second Shamkhani Brother of CBI Citizenship Over Concealed Iranian Ties
Ahmad Abbas
April 18, 2026
Caribbean aliases, Dubai villas, a sanctioned oil network, and a slain father’s concealed political ties.
Friday: SVG Missed Out on “At Least US$1B” From CBI Under Previous Government
Ahmad Abbas
April 13, 2026
An unnamed Caribbean counterpart estimated EC$200 million in revenue per year; Friday positions CBI within broader economic recovery.
Saint Lucia CIP Applications Surge 424% to 5642, Revenue Nearly Quadruples
Ahmad Abbas
April 12, 2026
Audited FY24 financials show EC$90 million surplus on EC$240 million revenue; category-level application data withheld for a third year.
Dominica Suspends CBI Applications From Iranian Nationals
Ahmad Abbas
March 24, 2026
Roseau reverses course on a market it reopened just four years ago amid the US-Iran war; however, some caveats still apply.
Saint Kitts Sets July 2027 Deadline for CBI Passport Holders to Complete Biometric Enrollment
Ahmad Abbas
March 23, 2026
Existing CBI passports issued before April 14 expire for travel purposes on July 31, 2027 unless holders complete biometric enrollment.