On November 13th, 2023, a government memo directed to stakeholders from Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Unit declared the initiation of obligatory interviews for all applicants seeking citizenship. Ms. Charmaine Donovan, CEO of the government’s citizenship unit, issued a notice stating that starting December 15th, citizenship applications will mandate interviews for principal applicants and dependents aged 16 or older. Additionally, a new administrative fee of USD 1,500 is introduced to cover interview expenses.
Each applicant listed in the submission must attend the interview and have their national ID documents submitted with the application. The interviews will be carried out virtually by independent service providers, as instructed by the Citizenship unit.
Interviews will resemble the ongoing virtual Oath of Allegiance meetings, wherein both the applicant and the licensed agent participate. Primarily, interviews will be held in English, but alternative arrangements can be made if the applicant cannot be interviewed in English and the interview’s purpose cannot be met. To prevent delays in processing their citizenship by investment application, applicants must attend the interview on the scheduled date.
Antigua & Barbuda provides the most cost-effective path to obtaining family citizenship from as low as USD 100,000. Launched in 2013, the Antigua CBI program provides a swift citizenship route in 3-4 months and allows visa-free travel to over 155 nations. While there are several investment choices, the most appealing options are a non-refundable donation to the National Development Fund (NDF) or investing at least USD 200,000 in approved real estate projects.