CHANGES TO DOMINICA CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMME

Fresh Water Lake, Dominica (Compliment N. Lawrence)

The New Year, 2015, has brought a number of changes to key institutions in the Commonwealth of Dominica.  The elections of December 8, 2014 returned the ruling Dominica Labour Party to Government, albeit with two fewer seats. Mindful of concerns raised about the Economic Citizenship Programme and the need to create employment for the youth of this country, the Government has enforced new regulations regarding the Citizenship by Investment Programme (formerly the Economic Citizenship Programme).

The Government of Dominica revamped the Citizenship by Investment programme in January 2014 adopting its new name and introducing, in addition to the cash investment option, a real estate option. This new option is aimed at engendering growth in the private and public sectors through tourism, agriculture, information technology and manufacturing.

Mr. Emmanuel Nanthan, former advisor to the Prime Ministers of Dominica for the past fifteen, heads the Citizenship by Investment Unit. As he settles into the new position, Mr. Nanthan has jumpstarted processes to enhance the efficiency of the Unit.  The interview, which formed an integral part of the Citizenship by Investment programme, was deemed no longer mandatory in October, 2014. However, this change only came into effect in January, 2015. Nevertheless, the Government of Dominica still reserves the prerogative to request an interview of the applicant if it is considered necessary.

Among other changes, the Due Diligence fees are now payable directly to Government on submission of the application for citizenship.  The Government initiates the Due Diligence process with the Investigative Agency.  The fees quoted for Due Diligence investigation are now bundled with the processing fee. In addition, bank statements for the main applicant for the period of twelve months immediately preceding the submission of application are now required.  Fast past passports may be obtained at the cost of US$500.00!

Changes have also been made to application forms and some new forms have been presented. The former Disclosure Form and Medical Questionnaire have been tidied up and have been assigned the names D1 and D3 respectively. There is now a Fingerprint and Photograph Verification Form, D2 and an Investment Agreement Form, D4, for the real estate option. The Form 12 has not been altered and is still being used.

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Fast Passports

In this current international economic crisis, persons the world over are seeking ways to improve their security - be it financial, social or otherwise.  To many individuals, bolstering security means obtaining new citizenship.  New citizenship translates into fast passports!

Prior to 9/11 few countries offered foreigners new citizenship (without some form of residency), since the terrorist attacks on the US, the number of countries has dwingled. Fast passports come in the form of Economic Citizenship.  Not many countries allow such a program.  In the Caribbean, there are currently two islands: The Commonwealth of Dominica (not the Dominican Republic) and St.  Kitts & Nevis.  But how fast is fast?

Obtaining a fast passport is relative.  However, less than a year seems acceptable .....between three to six months very acceptable. Under three months............. Possible .......if all documents are submitted correctly and in a timely manner.  For example, the application must be submitted with all the required forms completed and accompanied by supporting documents.  The absence of such requisites will result in unavoidable delays.

Another way to get passports fast is by initiating the due diligence process prior to engaging an Approved Economic Citizenship Agents. The Commonwealth of Dominica demands due diligence check on all applicants for its Economic Citizenship Programme.  Such an investigative research requires time.  It seems prudent that the applicants start the due diligence process before he/she contacts an Approved Economic Citizenship Agent.  Approved Due Diligence Agencies are found on the Government Website. It is important to indicate that contrary to popular belief, the services of the Approved Economic Citizenship Agent do not extend to investigative background checks on the applicants.  Moreover, the Due Diligence Agencies have been selected by the Government and they present their reports directly to the Government.  In order words, neither the applicant nor his/her contracted agent is given copies of the report!

To date the longest waiting period is after the interview! It might be felt that once the applicants get to the interview the rest is easy sailing.  However, that is not necessarily true. The process of finalizing documents after the interview and having the Minister affix his signature to the Certificates of Naturalization is a lenghty process in most instances. There is no comprehensible explanation for the avertible delays!

So, the idea of fast passport may work if the requisite documents are submitted on time, Due Diligence Report submitted together with application documents or shortly afterward. Also, if we start the count after the interview! So, Stop putting it off! Start the Application Process today! Contact us at: lawrencea@cwdom.dm or offshore@cwdom.dm or call on skype: tryoffshore.




 

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Citizenship Test

The US Citizenship test, commonly referred to as the Naturalization Test, comprises two components: an English test and a Civics test. The English test evaluates an applicant's ability to communicate in the English language in the areas of reading, writing and speaking.  The Civics test, on the other hand, examines the applicant's knowledge of US History and the Government.

However, the citizenship test, if one may call it that, for applicants for Dominica's Economic Citizenship Programme comprises of one section: an Interview. The role of the interview is fivefold:

• It probes into the applicant's personal background honing on any area which may need clarification or additional information.
• It evaluates the applicant's knowledge of the social, political and economic activities in Dominica.
• It examines the applicant's rational for acquiring Dominica's Citizenship
• It also analyzes the applicant's potential to assist the island with its Socio-Economic Development Strategies.
• It also assesses the applicant's potential loyalty to the Commonwealth of Dominica.

The interviewing team consists of three (3) or four (4) members who hail from the senior staff of the Ministries of Finance, Legal Affairs and National Security, Immigration and Labour. They are armed with the applicants' files containing their due diligence report and other personal information. The team searches for gaps and inconsistencies in the information provided to them and seeks to get a "feel" of the applicant and ascertain eligibility.

The importance of the interview should not be understated. Applicants have gone through the application process successfully only to fail the interview! The faux pas at the interview is attributed primarily to the following:

• inadequate preparation on the part of the applicant
• underestimation of the thoroughness of the interviewing team
• premeditative misleading of the interview team

In planning for citizenship under the Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme, it is imperative to afford the interview section the same level of importance as, if not more than, the other steps of the process. Even better, supported by the due diligence investigation, it must be viewed as the citizenship test.

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