St Kitts Tightens Its Pioneer Citizenship Program as Regional Rules Converge

St Kitts and Nevis runs the world’s oldest citizenship-by-investment program, dating to 1984, and its reforms tend to set the pace for the region. The five Caribbean CBI states have now agreed to a single legal framework with coordinated minimum pricing, common due-diligence standards, and a planned 30-day physical-presence requirement — formally delayed to mid-2026. The direction is unmistakable: programs are becoming more regulated and less transactional as the US and others scrutinize passport security. For diaspora investors, the era of a quick, hands-off second passport is closing; what is emerging rewards applicants willing to meet stricter, ongoing obligations.

Source: Immigrant Invest; Global Residence Index.