Citizenship Dominica: New Opportunities for Investor Family Members
Dominica has expanded the list of family members of the investor who can apply for citizenship. Now brothers and sisters can participate in the program. Newborn children and new spouses of any of the family members are eligible to apply for citizenship once the main applicant has obtained a passport. In addition, the requirements for children and parents have been relaxed — they do not need to live with the investor.
Investment programs expert
Dominica has expanded the list of family members of the investor who can participate in the citizenship program. Passports will now be issued to the siblings of the principal applicant or his or her spouse, as well as the newborn children and new spouses of each family member. In addition, a number of requirements for the investor’s parents and adult children have been removed.
The new rules are the result of competition between Caribbean citizenship programmes. States are relaxing conditions to compensate for budget losses from the crisis following the COVID‑19 pandemic. As a result, a second passport for visa-free travel has become even more advantageous than before.
New conditions for members of the investor’s family
A number of conditions have changed for the members of the investor’s family when applying for citizenship of Dominica for investment.
Children over the age of 18 no longer have to prove that they are enrolled in university or live with their parents. It is sufficient to demonstrate that they are financially dependent on the principal applicant or his/her spouse.
Parents and grandparents of the investor and his or her spouse are also not obliged to live with them. It is enough to confirm financial dependence.
The sisters and brothers of the applicant and his spouse can now also obtain Dominica’s passports. They must be over 18 years old, unmarried and have no children. Both siblings and adopted siblings can be included in the application.
Newborn children and new spouses of any family member can now participate in the program after obtaining a passport by the investor. For example, if the son of the main applicant gets married, he can apply for citizenship for the spouse.
It was reported that the Government of Dominica intended to facilitate the accession of family members who, upon initial application, could have applied for citizenship. However, specific measures had not yet been identified.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the changes in the programme are meant to speed up family reunification. He noted that the opportunity to live in a safe, hospitable and stable environment is more important than ever.
Due Diligence when family members join
Every family member over 16 years of age who joins the program after the passport is issued by the main applicant will have to pass the Due Diligence.
The main applicant will also have to repeat the security check when a new family member joins if more than one calendar year has passed since the last Due Diligence.
Changes in Caribbean citizenship programmes
Caribbean countries are changing programme rules because of the pandemic. Options become more advantageous and conditions for family members softened. It’s time to apply for a second passport to travel without visas.
We previously said that St. Lucia had allowed siblings of investors to obtain passports and had relaxed the age requirements for children and parents. In addition, the country has reduced the cost of participation in the citizenship programme and increased delays in payments.
Antigua and Barbuda offered a new option that benefits families of six people. It is accompanied by a bonus — a year of free education in the British system.
Earlier, Prime Minister Dominique said that the funds from the citizenship programme are used for investments. The country is developing education and medicine, building storm-resistant houses and investing in the production of electricity from renewable sources.
