Antigua And Barbuda Citizenship By Investment Program | An Incomplete Guide

What is Citizenship By Investment Program?

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, also known as the Passport Program, is an opportunity offered by certain countries to attract foreign investment. It allows foreign investors to quickly obtain citizenship in the destination country by making a substantial financial contribution through donations, deposits, purchasing funds, buying property, or operating a business.

Currently, there are ten globally stable and reputable passport programs:

• Caribbean: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint Lucia.

• Pacific: Vanuatu.

• Middle East: Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.

• Southeast Asia: Cambodia.

In addition to these countries, Malta, after canceling its passport program, has introduced a new fast-track citizenship law called MEIN (Malta Exceptional Investor Naturalization). By donating a certain amount of money, investors can secure naturalization and citizenship within 1 to 3 years.

Overall, while the global Citizenship by Investment programs require significant financial investment, they offer several advantages:

1. Quick Passport Acquisition: In most CBI countries, once the investment is made, applicants can obtain a passport within 3 to 4 months, or even just a few weeks.

2. Lenient Background Checks: Although there has been increased scrutiny on background checks due to pressure from the EU and the US, compared to major countries’ green card programs, the background checks for CBI programs in smaller countries are still relatively lenient, sometimes even superficial.

3. No Residency Requirement: Almost all CBI countries have a zero-immigration-residency policy. In most cases, applicants can apply for and hold citizenship without ever having to reside in the country.

4. Broad Dependent Eligibility: Many CBI programs allow multiple generations of the primary applicant’s family, including grandparents and grandchildren, to be included regardless of age or status.

Antigua And Barbuda Citizenship By Investment Program:

Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program started in 2012 and currently includes three economic options: donation for citizenship, real estate purchase, and business investment. The specific economic requirements for this program are as follows:

1. Donation Option: Antigua’s donation-based citizenship policy includes two options: the National Development Fund (NDF) option and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Fund option.

NDF Option: The required donation amount varies depending on the number of dependents included in the application.

• If you are applying as an individual, you need to donate $230,000 and pay a processing fee of $10,000, totaling $240,000.

• If you are applying as a family of four or fewer, you need to donate $230,000 and pay a processing fee of $20,000, totaling $250,000.

• If you are applying as a family of five or more, in addition to the $230,000 donation and $20,000 processing fee, you need to pay an additional $10,000 for each family member beyond the fouth.

UWI Option: This option is currently only open to families of six or more, meaning that at least five dependents must be included in the application.

• For a family of six, the total cost is $260,000.

• For families of seven or more, in addition to the $260,000, you need to pay an additional $10,000 for each dependent beyond the sixth.

2. Real Estate Option: This option requires the applicant to purchase a property in Antigua worth at least $300,000.

• If applying as an individual, you need to pay a government fee of $10,000.

• If applying as a family of four or fewer, you need to pay a government fee of $20,000.

• For each additional family member beyond the fifth, you need to pay an extra $10,000 in government fees.

3. Business Investment:If applying individually, you must invest at least $1.5 million in an Antigua-based business project.Alternatively, you can invest as part of a group, with each person investing at least $400,000, as long as the total investment in the local business project is no less than $5 million.

Similar to the real estate option, if applying individually, you need to pay a government fee of $10,000. For families of four or fewer, the government fee is $20,000. For each additional family member beyond the fifth, an extra $10,000 government fee is required.

Application Process:

The five countries in the Caribbean with citizenship by investment programs do not allow you to apply directly; you need to contact a local government-approved intermediary who will assist you throughout the entire application process.

Specifically, for the Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment program, the application process can be divided into the following steps:

1. Hire a Registered Agent: Generally, whichever immigration company you approach will eventually direct you to a locally registered agent approved by the government.You can check the list of government-approved local agents in real-time via this link: https://cip.gov.ag/how-to-apply/licensed-agents.

2. Prepare the Required Documents: At this step, you will need to fill out relevant forms, prepare all required documents under the guidance of the agent, and have the agent submit the materials to the Antigua Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU).

The documents required for the Antigua citizenship program can be divided into two categories:

• The first category includes personal identification documents: original and copies of your passport, ID card, passport-sized photos, proof of no criminal record, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and other documents proving the relationship between the primary and secondary applicants.

• The second category includes various application forms: AB1 application letter, AB2 photo and personal signature certification, AB3 medical examination certificate, AB4 investment certificate, AB5 intermediary-related forms, and passport application letter.

All documents from outside Antigua need to be notarized, and all non-English documents must be translated into English.The intermediary will assist you with all document preparation.

3. Pay Fees: At the time of document submission, you need to pay all due diligence fees and 10% of the government fees. The remaining government fees can be paid after your passport application is approved.

4. Complete the Investment: After the CIU issues an investment approval letter, you will receive a detailed investment guide from the official source and will need to complete the donation or business investment within 30 days of receiving the notice. If you choose the real estate investment option, the timeline can be slightly extended.

5. Oath of Allegiance and Citizenship: After completing the investment, all primary and secondary applicants will receive a registration qualification certificate. The agent will help you submit this to the Antigua Passport Office to take the oath of allegiance and receive your passport.

Regarding the Antigua passport, there are two ways to receive it: either take the oath and collect the passport within Antigua or at an Antigua overseas embassy or consulate. The entire Antigua citizenship by investment process typically takes about three to six months to complete.

Dependents:

In the Antigua Citizenship by Investment program, the following individuals can be included as secondary applicants to jointly obtain citizenship: the main applicant’s spouse, financially dependent children under 30, children over 18 with physical or mental disabilities, the unmarried siblings of the main applicant or their spouse, parents over 58 years old, and the unmarried partners of the main applicant and his/her children.

Minimum Residency Requirement:

Holders of an Antigua passport through the Citizenship by Investment program cannot completely avoid entering Antigua. After becoming a citizen, you are required to reside in the country for at least five days every five years.

Official Links:

Antigua and Barbuda CBI official site: https://cip.gov.ag