This will be the fourth year in a row that St. Kitts and Nevis has secured first place.
Commenting on the ranking, His Excellency Mr. Calvin St. Juste, Chairman of the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), said: “It is a great honour to see St. Kitts and Nevis once again top this prestigious list, especially given this year’s emphasis on transparency. This recognition reaffirms our unwavering commitment to transparency, which remains at the forefront of our core principles for success. It is a testament to our renewed focus as we guide the CIU through a transformative phase, firmly re-establishing ourselves as the global leader in the Citizenship by Investment space.”
Perfect 10 / 10 score in four different categories
The CBI Index’s unique methodological design examines the 12 operative CBI programmes across the world through the lens of nine factors, denoted as ‘pillars’. The Index then assigns points to each programme in each pillar, to evaluate programme features and the desirability of different jurisdictions.
St. Kitts and Nevis surged to 10 / 10 points on four different pillars, including pillars which reflect the most important industry and client demands.
In particular, the Federation’s perfect score on the Due Diligence and Certainty of Product pillars show that the programme is watertight, efficient, and focused on delivery.
The country received special plaudits from the CBI Index analysis due to the Unit’s constant innovation and improvement of the CBI programme. This year, St. Kitts and Nevis unveiled the newly reformed Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) under the leadership of new Chairman His Excellency, Calvin St. Juste.
Commencing 1 October, the new statutory body will focus on preserving six principles for the good of the Federation: Transparency, Communication, Good Governance, Transformation, Global Leadership and Sustainability. This innovation will safeguard the integrity of the CBI programme to internal and external stakeholders.
St. Kitts and Nevis also led its Caribbean counterparts in implementing significant changes to its CBI programme, culminating in the lauded Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) agreed between the five Caribbean CBI countries.
The leadership of St. Kitts and Nevis was fundamental in driving this effort, which the 2024 CBI Index highlights as first-of-its-kind collaboration to standardise due diligence requirements, information sharing and investment thresholds.
High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) have little time for poorly run programmes that offer second-rate due diligence arrangements; the forty-year strong offering of St. Kitts and Nevis has a trusted reputation for a reason.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ strong rankings in the CBI Index indicate that it is a trusted and secure option for HNWIs, who care about the safety and security of their investments and their families.
Analysis: Why St. Kitts and Nevis stands out
For HNWIs eager to secure a bright and safe future for themselves and their families, the security and living standards of a destination are paramount.
St. Kitts and Nevis received high marks in the Standard of Living pillar, which measures metrics such as economic growth, security, life expectancy and education.
The Federation outstripped countries such as Jordan, Cambodia, and Egypt in its scores on Standard of Living.
This chimes with the Federation’s track record of good governance, under the leadership of the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew. Prime Minister Drew has emphasised inclusivity in his premiership, leading social and economic initiatives to bring communities together, support young children and families, and protect the natural environment.
The Federation’s Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) is of particular note as a CBI option which gives back to the Federation’s community, funding social welfare initiatives that help ordinary Kittians and Nevisians flourish within the sustainable island state.
Prime Minister Drew and other stakeholders, including the Chairman, have worked to ensure that the CBI programme honours its roots in economic diversification and sustainable development, while also expanding to help fund new initiatives.
This indicates that the St. Kitts and Nevis CIU is adaptable and constantly focused on programme improvement, for the betterment of the Federation’s citizenry.
Another year of excellence for the St. Kitts and Nevis CBI programme
Given the 2024 CBI Index’s unique coverage of this year’s global changes gripping the world of investor migration, it is notable that St. Kitts and Nevis has maintained its top spot year after year. As the Index details, the world has changed quite a bit this year, but the quality of the St. Kitts and Nevis CBI programme has stayed consistently high.
The CBI Index is updated each year with the most cutting-edge changes to global CBI programmes, providing timely insight to the investment migration industry. The virtue of the Index’s multifaceted approach is that all CBI programmes are evaluated, ranked, and analysed at length, probing the popularity, renown, and relevance of the 12 programmes.
Read the CBI Index at this link to learn about what makes programmes like St. Kitts and Nevis the best that the world has to offer.