Seven steps, fully managed. From confidential first consultation to passport-in-hand, our methodology is structured to minimise risk, maximise certainty, and absorb every operational burden on the family's behalf.
From first confidential consultation to passport issuance, every mandate follows the same seven-stage methodology, refined through a decade of private client work.
A consistent, disciplined process is what separates an application that succeeds cleanly from one that stumbles at due diligence.
Every engagement we accept runs through the same seven-step process. The timeline compresses or extends with programme selection and source-of-funds complexity, but the sequence never changes, because each stage is designed to catch issues before they become rejections.
Typical total duration: 12 to 20 weeks from signed mandate through to passport-in-hand. The single largest variable is the government due diligence period, which is outside our control and outside the control of the licensed agent; it is set by each jurisdiction's Citizenship Investment Unit.
We manage every stage personally. You will not encounter caseworkers, junior associates, or offshore back-office staff during the engagement.
A confidential, no-obligation consultation, typically one hour, during which we understand the family's circumstances, objectives, existing citizenship and residency profile, and the constraints that will shape programme selection. At this stage we are listening, not selling. We advise on programme fit and typical document requirements, but take no engagement fee. If the fit is not right, we say so.
If the family elects to proceed, we issue a formal engagement letter setting out the programme selected, the scope of our advisory, the fixed advisory fee, the licensed agent to be appointed, and indicative total programme costs (government fees, due diligence fees, legal fees, real-estate costs if applicable). The mandate is signed and the advisory fee is payable; the mandate formally begins.
The most significant time investment in the process. We issue a detailed document checklist specific to the selected programme and to the family's profile. Typical items include: notarised passport copies, birth and marriage certificates, police certificates, medical reports, evidence of address, and, most substantially, source of funds documentation. We review every document twice: first for completeness, then for consistency with the source-of-funds narrative. Our internal pre-screening process typically takes four to six weeks.
Once the file is complete and pre-screened, it is formally submitted to the Citizenship Investment Unit by the appointed licensed agent. The agent, not us, not the applicant, is the legal filer of record; this is a programme requirement across all four Caribbean CBIs. We review the final submission package alongside the agent before filing and attend the agent's lodging of the application.
The longest and least flexible stage. The Citizenship Investment Unit conducts its own comprehensive background checks via international due diligence firms: OFAC and sanctions screening, criminal record verification, adverse media checks, source-of-funds verification, and reputational screening. In some programmes (notably St. Kitts & Nevis), a mandatory interview with the primary applicant is conducted during this period. This stage takes 8 to 12 weeks typically; longer for complex source-of-funds profiles.
On successful completion of due diligence, the CIU issues an Approval in Principle. At this stage, and only at this stage, the qualifying investment is made, the donation to the government fund, the real-estate purchase, or the bond subscription. We coordinate the investment with the applicant, the agent, and the relevant banking counterparties. Funds are typically held in escrow until completion is confirmed.
Once the investment is confirmed, the Oath of Allegiance is administered (in most cases remotely, before a notary), the Certificate of Registration is issued, and the passport is printed and dispatched by diplomatic courier. We handle courier logistics directly with the passport office and confirm delivery. The mandate formally concludes on passport receipt, though post-engagement support is available for matters such as visa renewals, family additions, and subsequent passport renewals.
An indicative overview of core documents each programme will require. Specific requirements vary by jurisdiction, applicant profile, and family composition. A complete checklist is issued at the start of every mandate.
Notarised passport copies (all pages, all applicants). Birth certificates. Marriage certificate (if applicable). Divorce decrees (if applicable). Evidence of name changes. Proof of residential address (utility bill or bank statement, within last 3 months).
Clean police certificates from the country of citizenship, all countries of residence for the past ten years, and any country where the applicant has lived for six months or more. Certificates must be recent (typically within 6 months) and apostilled.
The most significant element of any file. Evidence tracing the origin of the investment funds to legitimate sources: employment income, business dividends, property sale proceeds, inheritance, investment returns. Tax returns (typically 3–5 years), audited accounts for business owners, bank statements demonstrating accumulation, and a written source-of-funds declaration.
Recent medical certificate from a licensed practitioner (typically within 3–6 months of submission) confirming good health and free of communicable diseases. HIV status documentation is required by some programmes.
Reference letters from professional advisers (solicitors, accountants, private bankers). For business owners: corporate structure charts, ownership evidence, evidence of active management. A professional CV or employment history covering the past ten years.