Regional CIP Watchdog Gets Green Light from Parliament

Antigua and Barbuda’s Parliament has approved groundbreaking legislation paving the way for the creation of a regional regulatory authority to oversee Citizenship by Investment (CIP) programmes across five Eastern Caribbean nations; a move hailed as a significant stride toward transparency, integrity, and harmonization within the lucrative investment citizenship sector.

The Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA) will serve as a unified body governing the operations of CIP and CBI programmes in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia, standardizing vetting procedures, investment thresholds, and due diligence processes across all member states.

The resolution and accompanying Bill were passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday with bipartisan support.

The initiative follows the formal signing of the ECCIRA agreement by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and his regional counterparts on September 18, signalling a new era of collective oversight in one of the Caribbean’s most closely watched economic sectors.

“This is about protecting the integrity of our programmes and positioning the Eastern Caribbean as a model of best practices globally,” Browne said in Parliament, noting that Antigua and Barbuda has long pushed for standardization to avoid unhealthy competition among member states.

Under the new regulatory framework, the minimum investment threshold for a CIP application will rise from US$100,000 to US$200,000, while applicants will now be required to spend at least 30 days over a five-year period in a participating country — strengthening the link between new citizens and their adopted homes.

Additionally, all applicants will receive biometric passports, and any application rejected by one member state will automatically be disqualified region-wide, effectively eliminating the practice of “passport shopping.”

The new authority will initially be funded by contributions from member governments before transitioning to a self-sustaining model through processing fees. It will be managed by a nine-member board of directors reporting to a Council of Ministers representing each participating country.

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle welcomed the initiative, describing it as a necessary step to reinforce the programme’s credibility and protect the region’s shared reputation.

“I’m pleased to see a unified approach with stronger due diligence and oversight across all participating states,” he said.
Similarly, MP Kelvin Simon of St. Mary’s South praised the harmonized framework as vital to ensuring the long-term viability and international acceptance of regional CIP programmes.

However, some members, including MP Trevor Walker of Barbuda, cautioned that while the reforms may strengthen regional governance, the Caribbean must continue diversifying its economies to reduce dependence on citizenship revenues, warning that international pressure from larger nations could persist.

The Bill now heads to the Senate for final approval, after which ECCIRA will become operational once all five participating countries complete their ratification processes.

Prime Minister Browne said the creation of ECCIRA marks a defining moment for the region:
“Our goal is not to defend the past, but to shape a future where Caribbean programmes set the global benchmark for credibility and transparency.