Citizenship of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis offers the unique chance to share in a nation driven by development and sustainability, and enjoying one of the fastest-growing and most ro- bust economies in the Caribbean. St Kitts and Nevis is an ideal destination for wealth management, asset diversification, and entrepreneurship. In addition to having gained inter- national recognition as a place of opportunity,
St Kitts and Nevis is famed for launching the world’s oldest and most trusted Citizen- ship by Investment Programme. Today, 33 years after the Programme’s establishment, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis is ever more committed to delivering the ‘Platinum Standard’ of citizen- ship, by providing applicants and stakeholders with transparency and efficiency.
A STRAIGHTFORWARD ROUTE TO CITIZENSHIP -The St Kitts and Nevis Programme features two options for attaining citizenship – a contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) or an investment in a Government-approved real estate project. The SIDF option is the simplest and most efficient way of obtaining citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis. Unlike the real estate option, the SIDF route to citizenship involves a one-off transactional contribution and does not require maintenance of tangible assets.
Individual applicants who choose this uncomplicated route must make a minimum donation of USD250,000 to the Foundation. Applicants can also applywith fam- ily members, including a spouse, child dependants up to the age of 30, and parent dependants aged 55 or over. The minimum contribution amount increases to USD300,000 for a four-person family and a contribution of USD25,000 must thereafter be made for each addi- tional family member. Speedy application turnarounds are key to the Programme’s global reputation, and to its attractiveness to applicants.
St Kitts and Nevis of- fers a special fast-track procedure available at a premium fee, which includes a 60-day accelerated ap- plication process culminating with a grant of citizenship and passport for successful applicants. Standard processing is also impressive, with applications receiving approval in principle between 45 days to three months after submission.
SAFETY AND CERTAINTY – St Kitts and Nevis’ impressive processing times have not been attained at the expense of Programme quality. Citizenship by investment is operated by the nation’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), a government body tasked with carefully administering and scrutinising all applications. Consisting of a team of experienced professionals, the CIU is dis- tinguishing itself for its stringent standards of due diligence, which it applies against all applicants in concert with international and in- dependent due diligence firms. The refined model of citizenship by investment offered by St Kitts and Nevis ensures that the process of obtaining citizenship is reliable and secure.
This is advantageous to the Federation, which ensures that only upstanding candidates are approved for citizenship, and for applicants themselves, who become part of a group of excep- tional individuals who have time and time again proved their strong, principled backgrounds.
THE SIDF AND OUTCOMES BEYOND CITIZENSHIP -Known as the quickest channel for obtaining citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis, the SIDF route has more to it than first meets the eye. Established in 2006, the SIDF is a public charity that works to fund a diversified national economy.
Folllowing the closure of the sugar production industry in 2005. The SIDF currently facilitates growth in construction, tourism, agriculture, and entrepreneurship, providing vast opportunities for local employment and contributing significantly to St Kitts and Nevis’ trans- formation into the thriving country it is today.
In keeping with the Government’s dedication to reinvest in its peo- ple, SIDF funds are also employed as a means of securing generation- al prosperity. Through resources provided by the SIDF, Kittitian and Nevisian students can access local post-secondary education, while others can obtain loans to pursue degreed programmes abroad.
Furthermore, the SIDF plays a crucial role in enabling the Government to carry out its Public-Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) by funding electricity, alternative energy, infrastructural development, and poverty eradication projects.
Some examples of other programmes sponsored by the SIDF include the Small Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development (SEED) Project, the Agricultural Resource Management (ARM) Project, the Recognising Everyone’s Ability to Climb Higher (REECH) Programme, and the Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Project.
The SEED Project was established by the SIDF to give budding entrepreneurs the chance to learn how to run service-based businesses. Under this project, entrepreneurs receive loans and are assigned ex- pert accountants and other professionals to help them through the initial stages of starting their business.
Through the ARM Project, the SIDF aims to achieve national food security for St Kitts and Nevis by developing a diversified agricultural sector and by increasing the yield and quality of the nation’s crops, vegetables, and fruits. With its ARM Project, the SIDF has also promoted the use of greenhouse technology, novel irrigation systems, and water storing devices.
The REECH Programme is a national educational development programme devoted to improving the nation’s education system and creating better access to post-secondary education. The Programme is characterised by two components, Educational Scholarships for Students in Advanced Institutions (ESSAI), and Training for Optimal Performance of School Leavers (TOPS). The REECH initiative has been instrumental in sup- porting the personal development of young Kittians and Nevisians by creating an affordable route to tertiary education for qualified students, and by instilling in them the necessary professional skills to participate in a service-based workforce.
