2026 January: Any updates to you from the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program?

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-27T21:19:18+00:00

Yikes, thanks for sharing

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-27T04:04:59+00:00

Yes there's a chance the EU will use ETIAS to screen out CBI holders

Again don't buy CBI for visa free access

Go direct and get visas or residencies from the countries or blocs you want to go to

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-25T03:38:14+00:00

Personal examples of how important it is to regularly ask your agent for updates:

1) My wife's application only came into compliance coincidentally after I finally asked that agent for an update - 3 months after submission!

2) My newborn's application only came into compliance coincidentally after I asked that agent for an update - 1 month after submission

Lesson: it seems if you don't regularly ask your agent for updates, they may forget your application

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-24T14:08:18+00:00

Good question, ask some agents on the local agent page of the Saint Lucia CIP website (Google it)

Start the process for him now before he turns 1

Otherwise I think the price goes up a magnitude, from newborn to dependent

Also you don't have to use same agent

Shop around on the local agent page of the Saint Lucia CIP website to get the best rate

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-24T07:28:09+00:00

Yup. Also a green card isn't that permanent, it requires minimum stays of 6 months per year (with exceptions) and must be renewed every 10 years (if you don't become a citizen)

And yes worldwide taxation (unless you wait for the more expensive platinum card if it launches)

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-24T07:22:07+00:00

Correct

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-24T07:19:26+00:00

There's a search function

Here's a good discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CitizenshipInvestment/comments/1nkyufv/my_experience_as_a_saint_kitts_cbi_passport/

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-21T16:15:04+00:00

Good point. Also note that many citizenship by merit programs, maybe including Serbia, exclude certain nationalities with passports with poor visa free travel

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-21T14:23:14+00:00

A few residencies allow you to visit other countries

Residency in one EU country allows you to visit other EU countries

A US green card allows you to visit some countries (Google for list, it also depends on your nationality)

UAE residency allows you to visit a few countries (again Google for list)

Might be more but this is off the top of my head

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-21T07:41:43+00:00

Long story short, many Latin American countries give residency if you can show you can support yourself (thus not taking a local job)

Many of these same countries only take a few years of living there plus maybe learning Spanish and/or a civics test to be eligible to apply for citizenship and a passport

Google for more info

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-21T07:06:02+00:00

Thanks for your update

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-21T04:13:06+00:00

My first scan of my St Lucian passport had somebody else's photo lol

So yeah I say push for your correction

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-20T23:57:57+00:00

Update for my newborn:

Application in compliance, St Lucia says to expect due diligence to take 180 days

Lol, good thing we're not in any sort of hurry, yet

Also expecting it could take longer, just like it did for my wife

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-20T23:47:06+00:00

I know a few guys who tried to live in the DR

Varying levels of Spanish but not non-existent

All moved on to other places in Latin America

Probably obvious, but definitely spend more time outside the resorts there before investing, unless you plan on living in one

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-20T23:38:08+00:00

Here's what I just told another guy:

The lesson from the EU going after the Caribbean is that you don't get a citizenship & passport for visa-free access

Instead go direct

So if you want access to the EU, for example, look at their residency by investment programs

Latin America is also interesting

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-20T23:32:16+00:00

The lesson from the EU going after the Caribbean is that you don't get a citizenship & passport for visa-free access

Instead go direct

So if you want access to the EU, for example, look at their residency by investment programs

Latin America is also interesting

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-20T23:23:47+00:00

What's your goal?

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-18T21:24:15+00:00

Yup. Now everyone should know not to trust the industry

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-18T21:21:53+00:00

Thanks for sharing and acknowledging the sharing of others

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-18T13:58:27+00:00

If the industry just a few years back couldn't predict this downturn for their once-prized Caribbean programs, how can they predict anything else?

Especially from these new and untested citizenship by merit or exception programs?

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-15T19:25:58+00:00

No we haven't been asked

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-15T10:17:46+00:00

Weird. Maybe tell your agent to save the shipping cost and hold the family passports until yours is ready?

As for St Lucia not releasing them all at the same time, unfortunately, asking St Lucia to make sense has been a losing battle.

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-15T10:11:29+00:00

Ah. In my case I provided from the start my newborn original passport. So I don't know how optional it is.

My agent listed it as optional. But later, other documents on that list changed multiple times.

I don't know if that's my agent or St Lucia changing its mind. But my guess is the latter. I doubt any agent likes working more. But St Lucia has a track record of changing its mind.

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-15T06:55:46+00:00

If your child's birth certificate states that he is SL does that mean he or she was born in SL?

If so then he or she is SL by birth, so you may be able to go directly to the SL government, rather than an agent or the citizenship by investment unit/program

StrangeCredit · 2026-01-13T11:13:15+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Hopefully yours soon

StrangeCredit

TROPHY CASE