Changes and clarifications to the terms of the programme are listed in an official circular from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
Who can participate of the programme from November 2020
The government has revised the list of relatives to expand opportunities for investors with families. Thus Antigua and Barbuda hopes to attract more foreign investment to the country in order to support its economy during the crisis.
Family members who can participate in the programme
| Family member | According to the old rules | Under the new rules |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Yes | Yes |
| Children of the investor or spouse under the 18 years of age | Yes | Yes |
| Children of the investor or spouse over 18 years of age | Up to 28 years old, fully financially dependent on the investor | Up to 30 years old, fully financially dependent on the investor |
| Children of the investor or spouse aged 18 or older with physical or mental disabilities | Yes, fully financially dependent on the investor | Yes, if the child lives with an investor and is completely financially dependent on the investor |
| Parents of the investor or spouse | From 58 years old,, fully financially dependent on the investor | From 55 years old, fully financially dependent on the investor |
| Grandparents of the investor or spouse | From 58 years old, fully financially dependent on the investor | From 55 years old, fully financially dependent on the investor |
| Siblings of the investor or spouse | No | Yes, if not married |
Who an investor can join the programme after obtaining a passport and how much it costs from November 2020
An investor can obtain citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda immediately together with family members, for example, with a spouse and children. After a while, he may want to add a family member to the application. In this case, it is a separate legal procedure - accession.
The main requirements for family members to join have changed:
- The deadline for joining is now unlimited. Previously, accession was only allowed for 5 years after the investor's citizenship was granted.
- The fee for joining a relative 一 has been reduced by 30% on average.
It is not yet clear whether children and siblings of the investor can be added to the programme. According to the old rules of the programme, children over 18 could not be added to the programme.
Family members and the cost of their joining the programme
| Family member | The amount of the fee according to the old rules | Amount of collection under the new rules |
|---|---|---|
| Future spouse of the investor | 75 000 $ | 50 000 $ |
| The future spouses of the children of the investor, if the children are fully financially dependent on the principal applicant | 75 000 $ | 50 000 $ |
| Parents of the investor | 75 000 $ | 50 000 $ |
| Children of the investor or spouse under 18 years of age | 25 000 $ | 10 000 $ for children under 5 years of age 20 000 $ for children from 6 to 17 years old |
| Grandchildren of the investor from children who have already received citizenship under the programme | 25 000 $ | 10 000 $ for grandchildren under 5 years old 20 000 $ for grandchildren from 6 to 17 years old |
What other changes have been made to the programme in 2020
Expanding the list of relatives is not the first change in the citizenship programme of Antigua and Barbuda to include investors with families. The Government has also made provision for a change in procedures to facilitate participation in the programme during the pandemic.
Minimum investment amount for the option with real estate. Since March 2020, the minimum investment amount in real estate under the program is $200,000 instead of $400,000.
New option for families from 6 people. In May 2020, the government added the opportunity to invest in the University of the West Indies Fund. The minimum contribution is $150,000 and an additional $15,000 is paid for adding each family member over 6 people. As a bonus, one family member gets a year of free university education.
Acceptance of documents online and deferral of payments. Since April 2020, the Programme Department has fully switched to receiving applications through a special internet portal. At the same time, the department begins to consider the application as soon as it receives copies of documents in electronic form. The government also does not wait for the payment of fees and security checks. It is possible to transfer the payment after quarantine has been completed.
Cancellation of the condition of obligatory stay in the country. Under the terms of the programme, the investor must spend a minimum of 5 days in Antigua and Barbuda within the first 5 years after obtaining a passport. This requirement was temporarily waived in August 2020 until 31 August 2021. We explained this in the material "Changes in the Antigua and Barbuda programme: no need to arrive for 5 days, new passport fees".
