Immigration to Caribbean Islands

Living on an island in the Caribbean, surrounded by jungle-covered hills and picture-perfect beaches sounds like a dream. Wake up, enjoy a cup of coffee and fresh fruit picked from the trees around your house, walk along the beach and maybe go for a swim to cool off from the sun’s warmth. This is paradise. This is a dream come true. But wait, are you sure you’re ready to live your life in an Island? Here are the things you should know.

What to expect

1. Island time really exists

The laid back island vibe is common here, the heat that slows you down will put you to a feeling of no worries. “I will do it today” means they will do it within the week (if you are lucky) or “I am on my way” means they haven’t even left are common phrases here.

2. Drinking is the name of the game

Laid back vibes, Tourists all around you drinking like it’s their last cocktail of the year. Alcohol consumption for new arrivals usually goes up 10 fold. And you become good at it too!

3. Every weekend feels like vacation

Happy hours all around, people on the streets drinking, no mention of work! Saturday and Sunday? It all gets a lot better; lazy beach days and parties everywhere. Everything you imagine a great summer vacation has to be like, it’s there for the taking every single weekend.

4. Becoming a car mechanic is essential to your survival

When your car breaks down every couple of months, you pick up a few things. Like a battery only lasts about 1 and a half year in the Caribbean. The car parts store becomes a regular stop and you know your exact car make, year and chassis number. Standard items in the back of your car: Spare tire, jack, duct tape, WD-40 and jumper cables.

5. Doing groceries is for the rich

A lot of products are scarce and scarcity means higher prices. Much, higher, prices. Luckily, in most islands the prices for basic food groups are government regulated. Try to not focus too much on the pricing; if you can afford it, just buy it and enjoy it.

6. It is always dark after 7 pm

You are close to the equator. This means that the sun generally comes up between 6 and 7 am and sets between 6 and 7 pm (depending on the time of year).

7. Summer is a real thing

Most people move to the Caribbean because of the weather. And rightfully so, if you love summer vibes and nights, the Caribbean climate nears perfection. Usually, the temperature is around 28 – 30 Celsius (82 – 86 degrees) during the day, about 25 at night and the water is about 28. It’s not always great unfortunately: in September and October the wind disappears and it gets a lot sweatier.

8. You have to speak multiple languages every day

Island populations are extremely multicultural. People flocking from all over the world, but also neighbouring islands. And they all speak different languages. Make sure you know the most basic phrases of each language. After a while, you know exactly who speaks what, which store is run by Venezuelans, which by Chinese and which by locals.

9. Mosquitos are truly the worst insects of all

The world’s most deadliest animal spreads all kinds of diseases. Especially in the Caribbean: dengue, chikungunya and who knows what variation pops up every year. And then there is all the itching and the buzzing keeping you up all night.

10. Choosing what to wear has never been easier

Islands don’t have clothing trends. Every year it’s about the same. And understandable, what can you really change in a swimming short design, flip flops or a cute beach dress. You also wear a lot less. So no jackets, sweaters, you just don’t need them. That makes stepping out of the house a lot easier.

11. Island hopping is a challenge

Flying here is expensive as you least expected. Even traveling to a neighbouring island can set you back a couple of hundred bucks. Then there are the delays… Don’t expect anybody informing you about the cause of the delay. Just sit back, and wait and wait. Always make sure you have enough time between connecting flights.

12. The infrastructure may be lacking.

Potholes as big as canyons, constant power outages, slow internet when the power is actually on...the list goes on. There’s a reason everything runs on “island time” in the Caribbean: You need an excuse for what seems like purely insane waiting and running around for such simple tasks as cashing a check.

13. Island life is like small-town living. Everyone knows everyone and everything.

Islands are small communities and in small communities there are no secrets. The only reliably efficient system on an island is the rumor mill, constantly feeding through fabricated lies and gossip.

14. Acquiring things can be difficult on an island.

Sometimes boats get delayed so the grocery store looks post-apocalyptic. Sometimes you pay an exorbitant fee to ship large items from the States, yet they still don’t arrive for months on end.

15. Storms happen, and they can be gravely serious.

Hurricane season is no joke in the Caribbean, if you move to an island prone to being hit by hurricanes and tropical storms, don’t try to pretend you’re smarter than the local construction workers who are building your home to withstand those storms.

16. Island life can be isolating.

Islands are small and your options become much more limited. You certainly won’t know what’s happening in the news because nobody watches it. You won’t have the latest gadgets everyone back home is talking about. You won’t see the newest films in theaters, nor catch the new TV series as it actually airs. You will be behind in everything. And you will look out into the never-ending sea and realize how small you truly are.

If you’ve read all these and think that island life sounds horrible, you most certainly should not move to the Caribbean. Caribbean island life is not for everybody. That’s why you see many people return to their home countries within a short period of time. Take a vacation and then go back but if you're still dreaming of living in the Caribbean, then you should take note of these islands and how to acquire citizenships.

Caribbean Islands Citizenship & Passport by investment within a few months :

1-Antigua Barbuda Citizenship

Antigua and Barbuda has proposed a new economic citizenship by investment and passport program for investors who can directly acquire citizenship and passport either by donation to a charity or buying a real estate.  The passport of Antigua and Barbuda has 5 year validity period.  The Antigua Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program requires only 5 days of physical presence during the initial 5 year period and after that it can be renewed with paying applicable passport fee.

Advantages

• Antigua & Barbuda passport provides visa free access to approximately 130 countries including Canada, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and the European Schengen Area States.
• Antigua is a hub for the Eastern Caribbean. Travel connections are very good, with regular flights into the island from key tourist markets of Canada, USA and UK.
• We provide the real estate acquisition, legal, financial management and property asset management services.
• Passport is issued in a fast and easy way 2-3 months with 5 years validity.

2-St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship

We put this twin-island federation together because it’s hard to separate one from the other — St Kitts is the place to do business, the place to study, while Nevis is an even more laid back, untouched paradise. Both are great options for those seeking small islands with big potential. The country is well connected by flights from US, Europe and the Caribbean airliners. And it’s got the best Citizenship by Investment programme in the Caribbean.

Benefits

·       The St. Kitts and Nevis passport is very well regarded and has excellent reputation, and only relatively few passports have been issued under this citizenship-by-investment program by the Government.

• ·         Visa free travel to European Schengen area including UK, Canada and Ireland along with other 80 countries
• ·         No prior residence requirements
• ·         No income or wealth tax.
• ·         Citizenship for family members (spouse and children)
• ·         Lifetime citizenship
• ·         No restrictions on Dual citizenship
• ·         Choice of Real Estate investment
• ·         No personal visit required
• ·         Minimum Investment

3-Dominica

Citizenship / Passport:

Dominica is a 751 sq.km island nation in the eastern Caribbean. The economy is primarily agriculture based and Roseau is the capital city.

Dominica has an “Economic citizenship by investment” program which allows granting citizenship to those who make a contribution to the development of the country. Still Dominica is the only country where you can get a second citizenship, is more affordable and cheaper compared to other economic citizenship programs offered by other countries in Europe or Caribbean.

Dominica directly offers full life citizenship to investors without any prior residency requirement. With Dominica passport, you can travel visa free to over 80 countries including the UK and common wealth country.

4- Grenada Citizenship by Investment

Grenada is a beautiful country in the Caribbean with white sand beaches and pristine blue waters.

Grenada Economic Investment Program (“GEIP”) newly launched by the Government of Grenada, offers foreign nationals citizenship and passport in exchange for a minimum investment of $200,000 USD (plus administrative fees) towards Grenada’s economy and infrastructure.

It takes about 2 months (fastest) to receive the passport which enables visa free travel to over 100 countries including EU, UK and Canada. The total costs will come around $350,000 (all inclusive) for one person and additional fees for each family member. 

Finally, choose the right immigration consultants who will help you to finish all your immigration requirements smoothly