Antigua and Barbuda residence and citizenship

CBI — National Development Fund contribution

Direct citizenship, not a residence permit. USD 230,000 non-refundable contribution; USD 10,000 government processing fee for a single applicant, plus USD 8,500 due diligence, USD 300 passport fee and agent costs. Henley reports approximately seven months on average; no bounded final processing time is published. No prior residence; five days of presence in first five years afterward. Eligibility follows CIU background and health criteria, without a published nationality list.

Sources: Citizenship investment routes (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Citizenship by investment fees (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

CBI — University of the West Indies Fund

Direct citizenship for a family of six or more contributing USD 260,000 to the UWI Fund, inclusive of government processing fees; separate USD 8,500 principal due diligence, passport and agent costs. No separately stated application fee is assigned because processing is bundled. Henley reports approximately seven months on average; no final processing bound is published. No prior residence; five days in first five years afterward. Eligibility follows family size and CIU personal criteria.

Sources: Citizenship investment routes (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), UWI Fund investment option (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Citizenship by investment fees (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

CBI — approved real estate

Direct citizenship via at least USD 300,000 in approved real estate, held five years. USD 10,000 single-applicant processing fee plus USD 8,500 due diligence, passport, property and agent costs. Henley reports approximately seven months on average; no final processing bound is published. No residence before citizenship; five days in first five years afterward. Eligibility follows CIU personal criteria.

Sources: Citizenship investment routes (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Citizenship by investment fees (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

CBI — eligible business joint investor

Direct citizenship for at least two investors in an eligible business with total USD 5,000,000 and each investing at least USD 400,000. USD 10,000 single-applicant processing fee plus due diligence, passport and agent costs. Henley reports approximately seven months on average; no final processing bound is published. No prior residence; five days in first five years afterward. Eligibility follows CIU personal criteria.

Sources: Citizenship investment routes (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Citizenship by investment fees (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

CBI — eligible business sole investor

Direct citizenship for a sole applicant investing USD 1,500,000 in an eligible business. USD 10,000 single processing fee plus USD 8,500 due diligence, passport and agent costs. Henley reports approximately seven months on average; no final processing bound is published. No prior residence; five days in first five years afterward. Eligibility follows CIU personal criteria.

Sources: Citizenship investment routes (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Citizenship by investment fees (Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Unit), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

Residence permit — retired homeowner or person of independent means

Immigration FAQ lists Class E homeowners/retired residents and Class F independent means after two years; its document checklist says five years for independent means, while amended section 40 normally says four. These conflicts mean no reliable accelerated grant date; applicant must confirm with Immigration. Home ownership is an eligibility factor, but no published minimum property value or mandatory investment is established. Prescribed fee amount and processing time are unstated. Ordinary citizenship's shortest statutory test is six qualifying years, though Immigration guidance says seven. Eligibility follows Classes E/F, without nationality limits.

Sources: Residency Permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

Permanent residence — independent income or substantial economic activity

Minister on Cabinet advice may grant direct permanent residence. The amended statute requires annual income of at least USD 500,000, a permanent abode and at least 30 days' presence per calendar year, or Cabinet-approved substantial economic activity; income is a qualification, not an investment. No fixed capital investment is published. Permit is valid 12 months and renewed annually. Section 42A allows a citizenship application after seven unbroken years as a permanent resident with 90 days' annual presence, substantial economic activity and tax compliance. Eligibility follows section 42's qualified non-citizen category; no nationality exclusion list is stated.

Sources: Immigration and Passport Act 2014, sections 42 and 47 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment (Henley & Partners, summary)

Residence permit — four years lawful residence

Non-citizen lawfully resident four continuous years with intent to reside permanently, subject to Chief Immigration Officer approval. This is a three-year renewable residence permit, distinct from section 42 direct permanent residence. No investment minimum. Ordinary citizenship has a six-year shortest statutory residence test, though Immigration's applicant guidance says seven; approval is discretionary. Eligibility follows section 40; no nationality list.

Sources: Application for Resident Permit (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

Residence permit — entrepreneur or investor after two work permits

Immigration FAQ lists Class D after two years of work permits for entrepreneurs or investors, but the amended section 40 generally says four continuous years unless in a marital union. Treat two years as agency category guidance, subject to the statutory four-year rule and individual confirmation. No fixed business investment, filing fee or processing bound is established. Ordinary citizenship's shortest statutory test is six qualifying years, though Immigration guidance says seven. Eligibility follows the FAQ's entrepreneur/investor category; no passport restriction stated.

Sources: Residency Permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

Employer-sponsored work permit with immigration stay endorsement

A foreign employee generally needs a Labour Department work permit and a separate Immigration Department endorsement or extension of stay. Work permit alone is conditional visitor status, not residence; four continuous qualifying years may lead to a section 40 residence permit, with citizenship guidance after seven years of legal residence if that presence qualifies. No current fee or processing bound is established by the cited material. Eligibility follows non-citizen employment requiring a work permit; no nationality list.

Sources: Extension and work permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Residency Permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

Residence permit — spouse of Antigua and Barbuda citizen

Spouse living in a genuine marital union with a citizen may seek residence after one year; three years of marriage may support separate citizenship registration under the Constitution. No fixed investment, published route-specific fee or processing bound in cited authority. Eligibility follows the citizen-spouse rule, not passport nationality.

Sources: Immigration and Passport Act 2014, sections 42 and 47 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Immigration and Passport Amendment Act 2021 (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda), Constitution, citizenship sections 114-115 (Government of Antigua and Barbuda)

OECS Protocol State free movement

Citizens of the six other OECS Protocol Member States have indefinite stay and work access without a work permit. Eligible codes are the six named Protocol states; this is nationality-based, not a universal CARICOM right. Ordinary citizenship requires a separate application and qualifying residence; the shortest statutory test is six years, though Immigration guidance says seven.

Sources: OECS free movement regime (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), OECS Protocol members (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

CARICOM skilled national free movement

Nationals of CSME participating states with a recognized Skills Certificate can seek employment without a work permit under the existing skills regime. The four-state unrestricted free-movement arrangement does not include Antigua and Barbuda. Eligibility codes reflect the other full CSME participants, subject to a qualifying skills category and certificate; no universal CARICOM entitlement. No route-specific investment, application charge or decision bound established. Citizenship is a separate application; no assured route-specific clock.

Sources: CARICOM existing CSME regimes (CARICOM Secretariat), CARICOM skilled national categories (CARICOM Secretariat), Extension and work permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department)

CARICOM business establishment and self-employed services

Qualifying CSME nationals may use the right of business establishment or self-employed services to reside for approved business activity under the existing CARICOM regime; this is separate from the skills certificate route. Eligibility codes are the other CSME participants and require compliance with establishment or services rules, not mere nationality. No fixed investment threshold, charge or decision bound appears in the cited source. Citizenship needs a separate qualifying residence application, so no assured route-specific clock.

Sources: CARICOM existing CSME regimes (CARICOM Secretariat), CARICOM Single Market and Economy resources (CARICOM Secretariat), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)

Student residence permit — tertiary study

Non-immigrant tertiary student can seek a Class C student residence permit after one year of attendance, with annual renewals; the temporary student status does not itself authorize work and can convert to ordinary residence after four years if grounds change. No fixed investment, route-specific application fee or bounded decision time established. Citizenship is a separate application and the treatment of student years is not reliably established, so no route-specific citizenship clock. Eligibility follows non-immigrant study status, with OECS citizens who hold indefinite status excepted from student-permit need.

Sources: Residency Permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Student Permit FAQs (Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department), Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship Act, Second Schedule (Laws of Antigua and Barbuda)