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Saint Kitts Removes Education Requirements and Extends Dependent Age to 30 in “Best Move” Reform · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: St.
• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis has announced amendments to its citizenship by investment program, which will allow dependent children up to the age of 30 and eliminate mandatory education requirements for adult dependents.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: The amendments modify existing regulations by extending the maximum age for dependent children from 25 to 30 years, provided the application is submitted before the dependent's 30th birthday.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Adult dependents will no longer need enrollment in full-time education, but must demonstrate substantial financial dependence on the main applicant through bank statements, proof of financial support, or sworn affidavits.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: The CIU describes these changes as necessary, quote, to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of our program and align with regional standards, end quote.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: The updated regulation will now define eligible dependents as a child aged 18 to 30 who is unmarried and substantially supported by the main applicant.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Abdul Rahman Hamdi of Client Referrals is calling this a positive and timely update from the St.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: He notes that expanding the age limit for dependence and removing the full-time education requirement creates more flexibility for families while still maintaining a clear framework for demonstrating financial dependence.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Serhan Isiver, managing partner of Beyond Global Partners, notes that these changes are positive and clearly enhance the competitiveness of the program, both within the Caribbean region and on the international stage.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: He believes the strategic adjustments are likely to attract greater interest from countries where delayed education or prolonged financial dependence is culturally or economically prevalent.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Previous rules required that dependents aged 18 to 25 maintain full-time attendance at a recognized secondary or tertiary level institution of learning, along with complete financial support from the main applicant.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Removing this requirement addresses practical challenges facing modern families.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Kevin Hosom, founder and chairman of EC Holdings, considers the education requirement elimination, quote, the best move for sure, end quote, and notes that the education requirement was a real pain.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: He explains that, there are a lot of young people who do not go to university after they graduate school, and emphasizes that this does not make them financially independent.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: He believes that dependency part with the education wasn't working, and sees the changes as evidence that clearly the aim is to be more competitive, obviously.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Probably a good sign from SKN that they're trying to be competitive again.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Nick Stevens, CEO of NTL Trust, attributes the changes to competitive pressures and notes that addition of family members is important for many clients.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: He highlights that, quote, some young adults might be in between studies or pursuing professional training that is not officially recognized as studies, end quote.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The amendments address these real-world scenarios that previously excluded eligible family members.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: The timing coincides with the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority, scheduled for September 2025.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Hosom expresses some surprise at the timing, noting that St.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis has done a lot of changes sporadically, and wonders if it's being done now to avoid extra hurdles once the regulator is fully in place.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't anticipate regulatory conflicts, noting, quote, I don't see any issues with it under the memorandum of agreement.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what part of the agreement would tell them they can't do that, end quote.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: The CIU emphasized that the update, quote, ensures our program remains responsive to market evolution while upholding the core values of integrity and transparency that define it.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: End quote.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: All other dependent provisions, including eligibility for children under 18, physically or mentally challenged adult children, and parents aged 55 or older, remain unchanged.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: ISIFR believes the changes emphasize and strengthen the family friendliness of the program, allowing for more inclusive applications and accommodating a broader range of family structures.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: The revised provisions make the program especially attractive to larger families and those with older dependent children.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: The CIU is currently processing the regulatory amendment, advising agents to prepare relevant client files for processing while formal approval proceeds.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Stevens notes that, quote, this will make the SKN program more attractive to families with young adults, end quote, while Acever suggests that competing programs may introduce similar reforms in the near future to remain competitive.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hosom, however, believes that other Caribbean countries' programs are doing well and that they may not be looking to implement any similar changes soon.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Hamdi sees broader implications for the jurisdiction's market position, observing that, quote, St.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis is demonstrating to us via actions, not just pretty words, that they are serious about regaining their pole position in the RCBI industry, and their recent changes are working.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: We are seeing strong volume shifting back towards St.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis, end quote.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Hosom notes that while the age change brings it in line with some of the others, it may not be the most inclusive program available.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: He does emphasize that the dependent criteria for St.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis, specifically the education requirement, was not working.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Amada Bas on IMIDaily.com.
• 5:53
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• 6:00
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