Caribbean (CBI) vs United StatesGolden Visa, side by side — 2026
Caribbean (CBI)
St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia — passport in 4–8 months.
United States
The slowest, most expensive Golden Visa — and the only one ending in a US passport. Hard 30 Sept 2026 deadline.
Caribbean (CBI). Caribbean (CBI) leads United States on lower headline price (dominant route), faster path to citizenship, lower physical-presence burden.
The full picture is below — by the numbers, then category by category.
By the numbers
| Metric | 🌴 Caribbean (CBI) | 🇺🇸 United States |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Active |
| Headline minimum | $200,000 | $800,000 |
| Processing time | 4–8 months | Rural TEA: ~8mo to I-526E · 24–36mo to green card |
| Path to citizenship | Direct (no residency requirement) | Conditional green card now; permanent green card after the 2-year conditions are removed; US citizenship after 5 years as a permanent resident, with physical-presence and continuous-residence requirements. |
| Physical presence | 0 days (Antigua: 5 days within first 5 years) | Not a zero-stay program. The green card must be genuinely maintained — long absences risk abandonment — and naturalisation requires 30 months of physical presence over 5 years. |
| Tax overlay | Citizenship is not tax residency — a CBI passport does not change where you are taxed, and CBI requires no residence, so for most holders it has no tax effect at all. The islands levy no tax on non-residents' foreign income and no wealth or inheritance tax, but you only benefit by actually relocating, which almost no CBI buyer does. | None — the opposite. A US green card (including the conditional one) makes you a US tax resident on worldwide income from the day it is approved (top federal rate 37%, plus state tax), with worldwide assets exposed to US estate and gift tax (up to 40%) and FATCA/FBAR reporting. An exit tax can apply if you later give up the green card as a long-term resident. Pre-immigration tax planning before the green card is essential. |
| Best for | Frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, or anyone needing optionality fast. | Families relocating to the US permanently — especially with children entering US universities — and able to file before the September 2026 grandfathering deadline. |
Category by category
- 01
Lower headline price (dominant route)
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Caribbean (CBI): $200,000. United States: $800k TEA (rural or urban HUA).
- 02
Faster path to citizenship
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Caribbean (CBI): Direct (no residency requirement). United States: Conditional green card now; permanent green card after the 2-year conditions are removed; US citizenship after 5 years as a permanent resident, with physical-presence and continuous-residence requirements..
- 03
Lower physical-presence burden
Edge: Caribbean (CBI)Caribbean (CBI) requires 0 days (Antigua: 5 days within first 5 years). United States requires Not a zero-stay program. The green card must be genuinely maintained — long absences risk abandonment — and naturalisation requires 30 months of physical presence over 5 years..
Who each one is for
Frequent travellers, holders of restrictive passports, or anyone needing optionality fast.
- +Direct citizenship — no residency requirement
- +Visa-free travel to 140–150 countries
- +Grenada gives access to the US E-2 investor visa
- +Fast: passport often in 4–6 months
Families relocating to the US permanently — especially with children entering US universities — and able to file before the September 2026 grandfathering deadline.
- +The only investor program ending in a US green card and US passport
- +Family file: spouse + unmarried children under 21
- +Rural TEA route has dedicated visa allocation — fastest queue
- +Concurrent I-485 lets US-based applicants work and travel during processing
The honest tradeoffs
- − All five programs raised minimums to $200k+ in 2024 by regional MoU
- − Enhanced due diligence — Russians, Belarusians, Iranians excluded
- − EU visa-free status under review (UK already requires ETA)
- − 30 September 2026 grandfathering deadline (Reform & Integrity Act of 2022) — file before to lock in protections against the 30 September 2027 Regional Center sunset
- − US taxes worldwide income for green-card holders and citizens
- − 10 jobs must be created and sustained through I-829
- − Capital must be genuinely at risk — guarantees void the petition