Grenada CIP Fully Digitizes Applications, Antigua Offers Discounts for Post-Hoc Dependents

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In a circular dated March 18th, the Grenada Citizenship by Investment Unit informs stakeholders that, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, it will no longer accept hard copies of application documents. Starting on March 31st, all application documents must be filed through the new CBI Management Online Information System. In the interim, says the circular, files should be submitted via “the dropbox method”.

Antigua & Barbuda’s CIU, meanwhile, recently published a limited time offer on the addition of dependents to already-approved CIP applications. Dependents aged 0-5 may be appended at an additional cost of US$10,000 (down from a previous US$25,000), while those aged 6-17 years may be retroactively included in the application for a fee of US$20,000 (previously US$25,000).

The announcement made no mention of changes to the prices for adding spouses or parents to already-approved applications, which means the price for this will presumably remain at US$75,000.

The Limited Time Offer, states the announcement, will expire on the 31st of October, 2020. If the recent past is any guide, however, we may reasonably expect this “limited time offer” to become a permanent fixture.

The cost of adding dependents after the fact is a topic we’ve explored in-depth previously.

See:

• The Cost of Granting Citizenship to Newborns When the Rest of the Family Already Have It
• The Generation Game – Can CIP-Investors Really Pass Citizenship On To Their Descendants?

In Saint Lucia, any additional child spurs a fee of US$25,000 if they are under 16 years of age. If they’re over 16, the charge is a smaller but still substantial US$5,000, with a non-refundable processing fee of US$1,000 on top.

In Grenada, additional fees apply to all children – and even grandchildren – of the CIP citizen. If an additional dependent – like a child born to the CIP citizen – sees the light of day within 12 months of the initial application, authorities reopen the case and add the dependent at an additional cost of USD$25,000. 

Subsequent to the 12 months, additional dependents require new applications, this time for citizenship-by-descent. The fees for this vary, especially when a migration agent handles the matter, but typically they will not exceed US$10,000 per application. 

In Dominica, there is a real clash between love and money. If the applicant adds the child in their application, they must pay an additional USD$25,000 for the child. If the child is born after the CIP applicant becomes a citizen, the cost plummets to USD$500.

In Saint Kitts & Nevis, the inclusion of additional dependents costs US$10,000 per head.