BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – The St. Kitts-Nevis government says citizens wishing to apply for citizenship for their children through descent are being encouraged to do so as soon as possible, as the Constitution of the Twin Island Federation sets an age limit for this process.
Attorney General Garth Wilkin, speaking on the radio and television program InFocus, said that he intends to get the process right as there is still a lot of confusion surrounding granting citizenship.
“Only persons who could have gotten citizenship through their grandparents were persons born before Independence (on September 19, 1983), and they got it at Independence,” he said.
“However, a child under 18 can get citizenship through their parents if (a) parent is a citizen. Therefore, a grandparent born in St. Kitts and Nevis before Independence can pass citizenship to their child born outside (of the Federation) after Independence.”
Wilkin said that the child, who is now the parent of the grandchild, can then apply for citizenship for the child born outside of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“However, that parent cannot apply for an adult (someone over 18 years) to be a citizen, and that is the point,” he said, adding that persons must act within the time frame stipulated in the Constitution.
“I encourage persons, if you are listening to me, wherever you are in the world if you want your children to be citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, apply while they are children and don’t lose the opportunity [for them] to become a citizen,” he said.
“They are people who are proud of their country, and we want them to become citizens,” Wilkin said, noting that many have strong ties to the twin-island Federation.
Wilkin said that the government may consider a temporary arrangement for individuals who missed the opportunity to obtain citizenship by descent during their childhood.
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