Bayat Group says Caribbean citizenship buyers should look beyond passport rankings

Bayat Group is urging families and business owners to weigh long-term usefulness, not just price or visa-free counts, as Eastern Caribbean citizenship by investment programs move toward harmonized rules. The firm points to Grenada as an example of how residency, treaty access, costs and future policy shifts can change the value of a second passport.

Why it matters: - Five Eastern Caribbean citizenship by investment programs are moving toward common standards, which can make headline comparisons look simpler than the real decision. - Bayat Group says buyers need to judge what a second citizenship would actually do over time, not just how it ranks today. - Visa-free access can change after a passport is issued, which can reduce the practical value of a citizenship purchased for travel freedom.

What happened: - Bayat Group, led by founder and managing director Sam Bayat, published guidance for families and business owners considering Caribbean citizenship by investment. - The guidance argues that ranking tables based on price and visa-free destination counts miss material differences between programs. - Bayat said the right question is not which passport scores highest today, but which citizenship will still be useful in 10 years.

The details: - A destination count only measures how many governments currently allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry, and those rules can change. - The United Kingdom introduced visit visa requirements for nationals of Dominica in July 2023 and for nationals of Saint Lucia in March 2026. - Those changes did not alter citizenship, but they did change travel access for holders of those passports. - Bayat Group says families should ask five questions before choosing a program: who will actually live there, how many family members will be covered by fees, whether dual nationality is restricted at home, whether the investment is a non-refundable contribution or real estate with ongoing costs and resale limits, and which benefits require extra applications or conditions. - Grenada is used as a worked example, but Bayat Group says the country will not suit every family. - Grenadian nationals currently fall under the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme, alongside nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis. - That current arrangement is not a guarantee of future admission or policy stability. - Grenada appears on the U.S. State Department’s E-2 treaty list, unlike the other four Caribbean CBI countries. - The treaty can make a Grenadian national eligible to apply for an E-2 visa to develop and direct a substantial investment in a U.S. enterprise. - The three-year domicile rule matters for some applicants who acquired treaty nationality through financial investment and have not previously held E status; holding the passport for three years does not satisfy that requirement. - Grenadian citizenship is not a U.S. visa and is not a route to a green card. - Grenada’s program lists a National Transformation Fund contribution of US$235,000 for a family of four. - Grenada also lists approved real estate investment options of US$270,000 shared or US$350,000 sole, plus additional government fees. - Due diligence, processing and interview fees also apply. - Grenada has adopted a minimum-presence requirement of 30 days total during the first five years after citizenship is granted. - That rule will take effect only once the regional regulator is operational and all five Caribbean CBI programs share a common start date.

Between the lines: - The advice reflects a shift from marketing-driven passport shopping to legal and strategic planning. - Europe’s policy direction adds pressure on Caribbean CBI programs and on buyers who assume visa-free access will remain stable. - In late 2025, the European Union revised its visa suspension mechanism to include citizenship by investment without a genuine link to the country as a ground for suspending visa-free access. - The European Commission has asked the Caribbean CBI states to phase out their programs by June 1, 2028. - Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister has said his government is proposing a counter-framework through 2030, but that proposal has not been approved. - A response to the Commission is expected by November 12, and the Commission’s next report on the mechanism is due in December 2026. - Bayat Group’s framework assumes a second citizenship is a long-term legal relationship, not a product chosen by score.

What’s next: - Bayat Group says buyers should stress-test each option against two scenarios: losing Europe visa-free access and a full program closure to new applicants. - The firm recommends starting with family objectives, then checking whether the relevant benefits still work under tighter rules and changing travel policy. - Bayat Group says the next step is to assess the exact household, not the minimum qualifying unit, before any commitment is made.

The bottom line: - Caribbean CBI choices are becoming harder to compare by price alone, and Grenada shows why residency, treaty access, family structure and future policy risk now matter as much as the passport itself.