Last Updated on September 23, 2023, 3:44 PM AST by Anthony Morris
The head of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), Michael Martin has remained committed to making significant improvements and enrichments to the Citizenship by Investment Programme that is under his charge. In light of the progress that the programme has made under hie direction, The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme has emerged on top of the CBI Index with a remarkable score of 89 percent.
With the unrelenting efforts of Martin and his team, they have elevated the programme to new heights. Notably, St Kitts and Nevis was the first country in the world to offer Citizenship by Investment Programmes. For almost four decades, the country has remained the frontrunner of the Investment Migration Industry.
The team of the CIU, under the leadership of Michaeal Martin has introduced a number of initiatives to ensure that the prestine reputation that the programme has maintained for the last four decades, can remain intact. The efforts of the CIU have been bearing fruit in the form of the rankings that the programme garnered in the recent evolution that industry experts and stakeholders conducted for the CBI Index 2023.
The Citizenship by Investment Programme offered by St Kitts and Nevis got the highest score in the four out of nine pillars on which the CBI Index ranked twelve international jurisdictions which offer Citizenship by Investment to the High Net Worth Individuals.
These four pillars are:
Pillar Four Mandatory Travel or Residence
Pillar Six: Ease of Processing
Pillar Seven: Due Diligence
Pillar Nine: Certainty of Product
The Citizenship by Investment industry has undergone a significant change in the recent past. The international community called on all the jurisdictions that offer Citizenship by Investment to HNWIs to implement some significant changes to their overall structure so as to ensure that the exclusivity of the programmmes can be maintained.
Michael Martin and his team at the CIU have been credited for being one of the first to implement the changes as demanded by the international committee. After making the required changes in the various aspects of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme, they introduced a new investment option, called the Sustainable Island State Contribution.
Michael Martin believes that the new investment option will enhance the reputation and exclusivity of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme and ensure that only those serious about investing in the country and people with a clean and prestine background will be able to get access to the Citizenship by Investment Programme of the country.
The Sustainable Island State Contribution has the following investment options:
- Minimum Contribution for a single applicant: USD 250,000
- Minimum contribution for a family of two – US$ 300,000
- Minimum contribution for a family of three or four – US$ 350,000
- Due diligence for a single applicant – US$ 10,000
- Due diligence for a family of two – US$ 17,500
- Due diligence for a family of three or four – US$32,000
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
