Caribbean leads global citizenship by investment industry
The burgeoning citizenship by investment (CBI) industry has been around since 1984 but has grown from a single jurisdiction in the Caribbean to almost every part of the world.
CBI is where a wealthy individual is granted citizenship in return for investment in the country’s economy. It differs from residence program which require investors to live in the country for a certain amount of time and does not guarantee citizenship.
A report published this week by the Financial Times publication Professional Wealth Management, ranks 13 CBI programs by overall performance and desirability; and by metrics including freedom of movement, standard of living, and ease of processing.
It found that investors from Russia, China, and increasing the Middle East and Africa, are attracted to dual nationality and this is expected to increase due to geopolitical instability and the globalization of business.
Top CBI nations
Holding steady at number one is Dominica. The Caribbean nation scores perfect marks in five of the seven pillars against which each programme is evaluated.
Four fellow Caribbean nations follow with CBI pioneer St Kitts and Nevis a strong contender.
The programmes assessed in this year's CBI Index include those offered by Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Dominica, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Turkey, and Vanuatu.
