Both Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda were placed on a restricted list published on December 16 by the Trump administration due to their historical practice of allowing wealthy foreigners to purchase passports without residency requirements.
Under pressure from both the US and Europe, these countries have since mandated part-time residency and have made efforts to tighten regulations and increase fees. Their leaders have suggested that the Trump administration may have made an error in this decision.
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On December 17, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua expressed his “deep disappointment” regarding the decision, asserting that Washington’s rationale “does not reflect the present reality of our laws.”
Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit remarked to DBS News that his nation had already put in place residency requirements for its citizenship-by-investment initiative “with the support” of the US government. He suggested that this might be a matter of poor communication regarding the travel ban.
CBI programs are vital funding sources for Caribbean nations with limited natural resources. In Dominica, passport sales contribute to 58% of national revenue, while in Antigua, they account for roughly 10% of the national budget.
The US government introduced its own “Trump Gold Card” just last week, offering expedited US visas and residency to individuals willing to pay $1 million. Initially announced in February, this initiative is part of the president’s extensive immigration policy overhaul.
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Browne stated that when Antigua’s ambassador reached out to the State Department regarding the latest travel ban, which is set to take effect on January 1, officials expressed surprise at the announcement and indicated they “had received no prior notice of its issuance.”
The US State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Caribbean nations are increasingly concerned that the growing US military presence in the region could impact their crucial tourism sectors. With an unprecedented number of warships deployed off the Venezuelan coast, Antigua’s Prime Minister warned that any “hint of armed confrontation in our waters reverberates instantly through hotel bookings, airlines, foreign investment, and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families.”
Golden passports offer visa-free access to the European Union, the UK, and other countries, making them attractive to nationalities that typically need to apply for travel permits. The five Caribbean nations with CBI programs have granted citizenship to at least 88,000 individuals, including many from China, Russia, and Nigeria, as reported by the EU in 2023.
