Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme

Despite the numerous social and economic challenges experienced worldwide, the Dominica Economic Programme continues to rank at the top of the list for most persons seeking to obtain a second passport or dual citizenship.

Among the factors contributing to this coveted position are the following:

• Reputability: The Commonwealth of Dominica enjoys a good reputation regionally and internationally including the US, UK, France and Canada. The holder of a Dominican Passport enjoys that esteem, thereby, facilitating business, educational  and traveling activities.
• Security: All applicants for the Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme are subjected to a Due Diligence investigatory process. The background checks are thorough! This reassures holders of Dominica passport - knowing that new holders are not of ill-repute.  The Due Diligence Agencies are backed by many years of experience.  Bishops Investigative Services have been in existence for a hundred and fifteen (115) years and have offices or associated offices in over two hundred countries worldwide.  Financial Examinations & Evaluations Inc. is present in most countries around the world inclusive of Central Asia, China, Japan North and Latin America and Central  and Eastern Europe. Both Agencies use leading technology capabilities along with experts in computer forensics, complex financial translations, corporate security and communication networks and asset location to ensure the integrity of the Dominica Passport.  In addition, the Government of Dominica has embassies/consulate in numerous locations to assist the holders of Dominica Passport.
• Cost-effectiveness: Despite the hike in Dominica Economic Citizenship fees in September, 2012, Dominica appears to give the best value for money in a number of areas.   Salient among them is the skepticism expressed by non-locals about owning property in this hurricane prone region as is the case of St. Kitts & Nevis Economic Citizenship Programme. Dominica's Citizenship by investment programme does not require investment in real estate property!
• Professionalism/Professional agent services: The success rate for Alick Lawrence, government approved agent, is phenomenal. With over twenty years experience in processing Economic Citizenship applications, Alick Lawrence Chambers handles over ninety percent (90%) of the Dominica Economic Citizenship applications and provide professional and confidential service to all its clients.

For students hoping to migrate to continue their education, for entrepreneurs, business people, or simply for the ease of traveling and doing business the Dominica passport offers many opportunities.

Email: offshore@cwdom.dm
          lawrencea@cwdom.dm
Skype: tryoffshore
Tel:      1 (767) 44 87697

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ALICK LAWRENCE, SENIOR COUNSEL (SC)

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WHICH SECOND PASSPORT - ST. KITTS & NEVIS OR DOMINICA (2)?

Source: http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/dominica

Dominica

On September 1, 2012, the Government of Dominica Implemented new fees in respect of its Economic  Citizenship Programme.  Two options are available under the Second Citizenship Programme: single option and family option. 

Single Option

Under this option, the application for dual citizenship (single or married) is the “sole” applicant. This single applicant makes an investment of US$100,000.00 towards the Government’s Public and Private Sector financing.

Family Option

The family option allows for a minimum cash investment of US$175,000.00 toward the country’s National Development.  The table below captures the fees in respect of the family packages.

FAMILY APPLICATION	FEES
Applicant + Spouse	A non-refundable investment of US$175,000.00
Applicant  + Spouse + two children below 18 years	A non-refundable investment of US$200,000.00
Applicant  + Spouse + more than two children below the age of 18 years*	A non-refundable investment of US$200,000.00 and US$50,000.00 for every additional person 18 years and below.

 *An eighteen year old is an adult and may apply as a single applicant

Due Diligence & Other Fees

The due diligence is influenced in part by the number of countries in which the applicant has lived.  Applicants contact the Investigative Agency directly. Due diligence fees can be negotiated. Fees range from US$5,000.00 to US$7,000.00 (approximately).

Other fees applicable to Dominica Economic Citizenship Programme include:

Miscellaneous	Amount
Application fee	US$1,000.00 per Investor (non-refundable)
Processing fee	US$200.00 per Applicant (non-refundable)
Naturalization fee	US$550.00 per Applicant
Stamp fee	US$  15.00 per Applicant

                                                                          (…………………….to be continued)

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WHICH SECOND PASSPORT - ST. KITTS & NEVIS OR DOMINICA?

source: http://www.nickryan.net/images/caribbean-st-kitts.jpg

When it comes to deciding which dual citizenship program to select - St. Kitts & Nevis or Dominica – second citizenship seekers seem to find themselves in a quandary. Of-course, the final decision is determined by a number of factors, the least among which is not one’s finances.

St. Kitts & Nevis

Basically, the dual citizenship programme offered by the Government of St. Kitts & Nevis provides people who are desirous of obtaining a second passport with two options: invest in real estate in St. Kitts & Nevis (under the Real-Estate option) or make a cash donation to the Government (under the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) option).

Real-Estate Option

Under the real estate option, the applicant has to make an initial outlay of at least US$400,000.00 on a Government approved real estate project. There is a five-year freeze before the investor may dispense of the property.  Additionally, there are fees and taxes to be paid before (legal fee, for example) and after finalization of the documents (annual land & property tax and property insurance).

Further, on approval in principle of an application, the following fees for application and registration regarding the application for citizenship apply:

• US$50,000.00 for the main applicant
• US$25,000.00 for the spouse of the main applicant
• US$25,000.00 for each child of main applicant under 18 years
• US$50,000.00 for each qualified dependant of the main applicant between 18 and 25 years other than his spouse

Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF)

Under the SIDF option, the investor is required to make a contribution to a public charity program to help with the diversification strategy implemented since the collapse of the Sugar Industry.  Under this option, the amounts are inclusive of all Government fees payable for the main applicant and his or her dependants with the exception of the fees for due diligence background checks:

• US$250,000.00 for Single Applicant
• US$300,000.00 for Applicant with up to three dependants
• US$350,000.00 for Applicant with up to five dependants
• US$450,000.00 for Applicant with up to seven dependants
• US$50, 000.00 for additional contribution for each dependant above seven dependants/
• US$50,000.00 for additional contribution for each qualified dependants over 18 years

Due Diligence

Due diligence background check is mandatory for all applicants and each dependant over 16 years.  Under both options, due diligence and processing fees for the main applicant is US$7, 500.00 and US$4,000.00 for each dependant over 16 years.

                                                                                    (........to be continued)

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Second Passport from Dominica

After a short repose we are back!

There is a need to clarify a few points for prospective applicants who seek a second passport or foreign citizenship from the tranquil Caribbean region.  To begin, there are few islands offering Caribbean Citizenship. To date, only St.Kitts & Nevis and Dominica offer citizenship by investment options.  However, there are a number of persons who are about to proceed with their application for citizenship incognizant of the fact that Dominica or the Commonwealth of Dominica is quite distinct from the Dominican Republic. 

The island of Dominica is an autonomous state located between the French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, to the North, and Martinique, to the South, or latitude 15° 20 North of the Equator and longitude 61°22 West of Greenwich.  The official language is English, however, a French creole or patois is popular among the inhabitants.

On the other hand, the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.  The Dominican Republic is located 18°28 and 69 °54 West Greenwich or west of Puerto Rico. The official language is Spanish and the ethnic composition of its population and the culture are different from that of Dominica. In the 2012 estimate, the population of the Dominican Republic stood at 10.09 million, whereas that of Dominica was approximately 73,000.00. Interestingly, citizens from both countries are called «Dominicans»." However, the Government of the Dominican Republic does not offer an Economic Citizenship Programme!  


Applicants are satisfied with their choice of the island of Dominica for foreign citizenship based on investment.  This internationally reputable small island state provides security at an affordable rate for those who seek dual citizenship in the current challenging economic times.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP

The decision to obtain a second nationality is an important one. Prospective applicants often seek some guidance to help ensure that they are making the right decision. Below, I highlight a few of the main issues that should be considered when selecting choice of country for dual citizenship:

• COST

The overall cost of the dual citizenship application may be a key determinant in obtaining a second passport.  The various options (single or family), package deals, sourcing relevant personal documents, processing fees, stamps, travel related to interview, background check, passport application, shipping of documents etc. all generate costs which need to be  factored in.

• OFFEROR

The country issuing dual citizenship is another important factor when deciding on getting a second passport. The political and economic environment of the offering country must be considered as well as its reputation internationally.

• ACCESSIBILTIY

People desire dual citizenship for various reasons including travel and business.  Therefore, of paramount importance is the benefit to be derived (in terms of accessibility to others countries) from having such a passport.

• AGENT

Most countries offer dual citizenship via an agent or agents.  It is imperative to select one with experience and good repute.  Government recommendation, suggestions from friends etc. are important sources to tap into.

• REQUIREMENTS

The criteria for eligiblity for second citizenship vary from country to country.  One must be satisfied or comfortable with the enquiries, demands or requests in regards to the application.  This does not mean, however, that one should option for a country which does not perform due diligence or vice versa.

• SPEED

When planning to spend a sizeable sum of money on becoming a citizen of your chosen country the speed in processing your application is crucial.  Once your money has departed from your hands you would like to have that second passport immediately.  Provided all requisite documents have been submitted on time, the process should not take more that three (3) months.  So, please ensure that you sign and submit the necessary forms, accompanying documents etc.

This list is by no means exhaustive.  Feel free to add your suggestions to it.

http://www.tryoffshore.com/

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Second Citizenship - For Whom?

It is a very mixed group of people who are interested in Dominica's second citizenship programme these days.  Firstly, there are those applicants whose own national passport is worthless as a travel document.  By this I mean they can visit very few countries without visas, and such visas are difficult to obtain with their national passport. Secondly, there are others who, although not falling in the first category, desire, mainly for security reasons, to use a different passport to travel to certain countries. Thirdly, there are some who are concerned about the long term stability of their own country and wish to hold Dominica Citizenship as a "fall back" position. This is the most surprising group because included in this group are applicants not only  from countries which are generally recognized as unstable potentially unstable but also from the countries which one would never consider to be in that category.  Applicants from these latter countries are becoming increasingly disillusioned and pessimistic with the state of affairs in their countries.  They fear the worse and want to have another country they can call home if their fears were to happen. Another group consists almost exclusively of wealthy business people who have resided and have done business in third countries which will, nevertheless, not grant them nationality status.  These people cannot or do not wish to return to their country of origin and require a country to call their home. Then, finally, there is the "miscellaneous" group - applicants who for very peculiar and all very legitimate reasons require a second nationality or passport.  These applicants provide the most interesting stories.

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