ST KITTS-International CBI agents to now register on the island.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – International Agents who market the St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship will only be able to charge such fees as are authorized by the government.

Head of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), Michael Martin, told a program on the St. Kitts Nevis Information Service, InFocus, that enhanced actions will be taken to address issues by overseas agents.

“We don’t want people out there advertising that we are selling passports, that you can get them for an amount not in the regulations.

“We don’t want people out there spreading false information about the program, and so we have inserted into our regulation some new measures to deal with those kinds of eventualities,” he stated.

The agents, whose job is to market the program to suitable investors, will be regulated by the St. Kitts & Nevis government and may be paid sales commissions according to a scale permitted by the governing authority.

Currently, some visa agents who advertise online, seen by the SKNO, state that they charge a US$7500 “processing fee” for helping to prepare and submit visa documents.

“In the future, international marketing agents must also be registered in St. Kitts and Nevis. That, of course, puts them under our jurisdiction and makes it easier for us to take the necessary legal action should there be a need,” Martin said.

Martin said due diligence regulations have also been strengthened as the government implements reforms to ensure the safety and integrity of the CBI at all levels.

As part of their application, applicants must obtain various documents proving their identity, moral character, health, and source of funds. These documents must be submitted in original form or via a certified and legalized copy.

It is unclear how much due diligence checks cost or if they are part of the “processing fee.”

As of 29 July 2023, citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access (including eTAs) to 154 countries and territories, ranking the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport 24th in the world in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.