Four Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis – have been named in a leaked US State Department memo as potential additions to expanded US travel restrictions.
Although Cayman Islands’ residents from those countries would find it more difficult to travel if the restrictions are implemented, there would be little to no impact here otherwise, mainly because Cayman does not bestow citizenship by investment – or even a path to citizenship by investment – with no requirement of residency.
The document, dated 14 June and signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outlines a draft list of 36 “countries of concern” that “might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry” into the US if they do not meet specific benchmarks within 60 days. The issues to be addressed involve “questionable security” of passports, data sharing, visa overstays and antisemitic or anti-American activity.
Other countries included on the draft list are Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
‘Citizenship By Investment’ under scrutiny
Among the more detailed reasons for the potential restrictions provided in the leaked memo is “the availability of citizenship by monetary investment without a requirement of residency.”
The Cayman Islands does not offer citizenship as part of its “Residency by Investment” programme.
The xitizenship By investment programmes offered allow individuals to obtain a passport in exchange for financial contributions – typically without needing to live in the country. All four Caribbean nations listed in the memo offer such programmes. There is concern, outlined in a London School of Economics report, that these policies provide a loophole for citizens from banned countries to gain entry to the US using secondary passports.
As an example of the international demand that has drawn US scrutiny, Chinese nationals made up the majority of Antigua and Barbuda’s 739 citizenship by investment applications received between January and June 2024 – 12% of all applications received – with another 9% coming from Nigerians.
Other countries with citizenship by investment programmes that were also included on the list include Vanuatu, Cambodia and Egypt.
Little direct impact on Cayman
Cayman is not on the draft list and is unlikely to be significantly affected by the proposed travel or immigration restrictions. Cayman’s Residency by Investment model does not offer a non-resident path to citizenship or a “golden passport”.
According to the most recent Cayman Islands Compendium of Statistics, there are 51 St. Lucians on work permits in Cayman, with even smaller populations from Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda. With Cayman’s reliance on US gateways for air access, the proposed restrictions – if implemented – could potentially disrupt those wishing to travel between Grand Cayman and affected countries. However, none of those countries provide a significant number of tourists for Cayman and those wishing to do business here from the impacted countries would have the option of traveling through Jamaica.
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Im thankful the US is treating us good even though Michael Myers has been taking anti U.S. stances lately.
I’ll need to send my kids to U.S. universities since we aren’t prioritizing higher education on island. Lower level either except for schools you pay the cost of a U.S. college for a 5 year old.