The Dominica Citizenship by Investment Department issued an official document on July 12, officially introducing the interview process. This measure is applicable to every investor who submits an application from July 17, 2023 and his family members who have reached the age of 16. Additional costs that may be incurred have not yet been announced.
It is reported that the interview will be conducted remotely and online, and the naturalization by investment department will arrange translators for the applicant as much as possible under the premise of coordinating time zones and other factors to promote efficient communication.
According to analysis by industry insiders, the interview session is likely to be arranged at the end of the due diligence process. It will focus on the information disclosed and documents provided by applicants aged 16 and above. In addition, it will also involve questions that may arise during the due diligence process.
Applicants who submit investment citizenship applications before July 17, 2023 will not be restricted by the above new policy.
Four other countries in the Caribbean that offer citizenship by investment programs will also announce their interview requirements, namely St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, St. Lucia and Grenada.
The official opening ceremony of the Cabrits Resort & Spa, Kempinski in Dominica on November 2 has cemented Range Developments’ reputation as the leading developer of luxury hotels in the Eastern Caribbean. The hotel, set on the stunning Caribbean shores on the edge of a national park and near the town of Portsmouth, has already won widespread praise for the quality of its design and construction.
“The hottest Caribbean hotel opening of 2019 is here,” said the Caribbean Journal. “The Cabrits Resort and Spa Kempinski Dominica resort is a monumental new addition to an island that has always been one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean.”
The Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica
Speaking to a distinguished group of politicians, including His Excellency Charles Savarin, president of Dominica, and The Right Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, numerous high-level businesspeople and journalists, Mr. Mohammed Asaria, Managing Director of Range Developments, described the hotel’s development as transformative for Dominica’s tourism industry.
“This hotel marks the advent of a new stage in its development life cycle,” he said. “The possibilities for Dominicans to benefit from this hotel are endless – a multitude of small businesses have already been created. At least 40 local enterprises have been established, and this is what we all must be most proud of; the fact that we have provided opportunities for these individuals to flourish.”
“The economic outcome for the island has been nothing but positive, with a direct financial contribution of USD$40million from government fees. More than 400 local workers were employed at various stages of construction – with four million working hours completed without a major accident while building 250,000 square feet of 5-star built-up areas. More tourists will come to the island, and more than 150 jobs alone will be created at the hotel, with at least double that figure benefitting indirectly.”
“This hotel – Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica is a lighthouse in the Caribbean’s CBI marketplace,” concluded Mr Asaria.
The Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica
The spotlight for Range now switches to Grenada, specifically the Six Senses La Sagesse in Saint David’s Parish, an unspoiled area of remarkable natural beauty boasting ‘one of the top ten beaches in the Caribbean’ according to The Sunday Times.
Grenada’s CBI program is the only one in the Caribbean that offers visa-free access to China. It is also the only one that holds an E-2 Investor Visa treaty with the US, allowing citizens to be eligible to apply to the US for a non-immigrant visa.
Six Senses La Sagesse, Grenada
Its appeal has been further enhanced by improvements to the country’s Citizenship-by-Investment unit, which is simplifying its processing procedures, and consolidating its position as one of the most sought after citizenship program in the Caribbean. According to a statement from the unit, the move to a two-step system will represent a ‘significant enhancement’ for the program.
The first step for potential investors is to produce key documents, including passport, marriage certificate, proof of funds, bank references, among others, which can be used for pre-screening candidates before final applications are lodged. While the formal processing does not begin until the application is fully completed and all fees paid, the aim is expected to cut down on unnecessary delays.
The unit has also moved to make the required documents more responsive to local customs, and less draconian on specific wordings. For example, confirmation of address need no longer be solely proven by a utility bill, but can also be confirmed by a letter from a landlord; a family book for Arab families can be used as a substitute for a marriage certificate.
These are just the latest enhancements to Grenada’s CBI program. The unit is also preparing to automate most of its work using application processing software.
The Cabrits Kempinski is one of the finest resort hotels that you can find and invest in the world, which also qualifies the investor for citizenship in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Please feel free to register your attendance for this event at the RSVP channels listed in the attached invitation and we look forward to seeing you there.
Meanwhile, stay tuned with our latest citizenship resort project – the Six Senses in Grenada – which we will share more information with you in due course.
(This is a photo of the Kempinski site after the hurricane. As you can see there is very little damage and it just goes to show the quality of the construction of the hotel which was built to withstand a grade 5 hurricane. Co struction will start again very soon and we expect very little if any delay.)
September 28, 2017 – The directors and staff of Range Developments wish to express their support and solidarity with the people of Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Its own development, the Cabrits Resort Kempinski Dominica, situated on the north shore of the island near Portsmouth and still under construction, stood firm as the hurricane passed through (see picture). Range Developments is committed to resuming work on the Cabrits Resort Kempinski imminently, as soon as the supply chains restart.
“The best thing we can do for Dominica is to begin construction as quickly as possible to ensure the wheels of the economy start turning through returning people work,” said Mr Mohammed Asaria, Vice Chairman of Range Developments. “We are committed to Dominica and categorically are not leaving. We have a hotel to complete and we will do so with our full commitment. Our responsibility is to our investors and equally to the people of Dominica to ensure sustainable job creation is maintained.”
Relief work for those areas less fortunate has already begun, with supplies being ferried in from neighbouring countries and those farther afield. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made a stirring speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and is galvanising the international aid effort. He was quick to publicise the island’s plight and his efforts to keep the disaster in the public eye are to be commended. He has described the clean-up as a “humungous challenge” but pledged that every village would soon be reached. Countries from across the globe have committed to assist Dominica and support is being extended to Dominica in its time of need.
Over the past few days, the efforts of the Government of Dominica must be applauded and recognised. The country has started on the long path to recovery. Essential utilities such as power, water and telecommunications are beginning to return to communities’ island wide. Roads are beginning to be cleared, while the airports are re-opening.
As the reconstruction of the island’s infrastructure gets underway, Range Developments has lent support to those who have been most affected near its development. It has already sent down a helicopter of urgent supplies, carrying essentials such as food, water, clothing and baby supplies, as well as, assisting with the transportation of relief from neighbouring St Lucia by boat.
Range Developments’ CSR team in the coming days will be identifying a number of long term initiatives to support in the Portsmouth area with a key focus on education and social welfare.
About Range Developments:
Range Developments is an international property developer focusing on high- end hotel resorts in the Caribbean that are well-designed, sustainable and desirable. The Park Hyatt St Kitts won the prestigious Best New Hotel Construction and Design St. Kitts & Nevis award at The International Property Awards 2014-2015. It also won the coveted award of Best New Hotel Construction and Design in the Caribbean 2014-2015. It is due to open in November 17.
Range has two other developments in the region. The Cabrits Resort Kempinski in Dominica is the first government approved real estate project in Dominica under the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program. A minimum investment of US$ 220,000 in the project will entitle investors and their families to a citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica. It is currently under construction and the most advanced of any government-approved project on the island. Its third project, The Ritz-Carlton St. Lucia, was announced in August this year.
Dominica’s CIU is back to normal and processing applications; contrary to a story circulated yesterday.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica said in a Press Conference two days ago that the country’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) is back to normal following the devastation by Hurricane Maria.
To qualify for citizenship of Dominica under the Real Estate Option of the Citizenship by Investment Programme, an applicant must purchase authorized real estate to the minimum value of USD 200,000.
On approval in principle of an application through a real estate investment or other approved project, the following fees also apply:
USD 25,000 for the Main Applicant;
USD 35,000 for the Main Applicant applying with his or her spouse;
USD 35,000 for a family of up to four persons, including the Main Applicant and up to three dependants
USD 50,000 for a family of up to six persons, including the Main Applicant and up to five dependants; or
USD 70,000 for a family of seven persons or more, including the Main Applicant and six or more dependants
For a full breakdown of the other fees payable under the Real Estate Option, including due diligence fees
The real estate must be held for 3 years and may be eligible for re-sale under the Citizenship by Investment Programme after 5 years from the grant of citizenship.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit (centre in white cap) with members of the ‘clean-up crew’. Source: Roosevelt Skerrit Facebook Page.
October 16, 2017 – Less than a month after the terrible devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, the streets are being cleared, utilities returning, people are going back to work and a degree of normalcy in daily lives is returning. That’s the view of Mohammed Asaria, co-founder of Range Developments, a company that specialises in developing luxury hotel projects in the Caribbean. “It was shocking to see at first hand the damage caused by the hurricane,” said Mr Mohammed Asaria, Vice Chairman of Range Developments. “I travelled there last week to see the situation for myself. I was incredibly impressed by the fortitude of the people and the efforts the Government are making to restore their country to the paradise it once was. It was heartening also to see children going back to their schools. The energy and drive amongst the country’s leadership is clear and must be applauded.” Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is personally leading the entire relief, restoring and rebuilding efforts. He announced recently that water supply has now been restored, as have telecommunications to most areas. In the capital Roseau there are people working on every street corner, cleaners wearing masks hosing down the streets, and water tankers spraying the roads. Vehicular access has been restored in all the island’s roads. The extent of the damage and the cost of the rebuilding will be announced shortly by independent multi-lateral agencies, but is likely to be many multiples of the country’s GDP. “What we’re doing is to take an opportunity to build back better,” Prime Minister Skerrit told reporters. “And we’re now putting the master plan in place. It entails sustainable livelihoods. In respect to energy, moving more into renewables – geothermal and solar.” Mr. Asaria also visited Range Developments’ project, The Cabrits Resort Kempinski, on the north-east of the island near Portsmouth. “I am delighted to see how our team responded to the crisis,” says Mr Asaria. “In the most challenging of circumstances they are already returning to work. Supplies are beginning to get through again as the roads, ports and airports are now re-open. Dominica will rebound from this stronger and in better shape to deal with anything similar that might occur in the future.”
About Range Developments: Range Developments is an international property developer focusing on high-end hotel resorts in the Caribbean that are well-designed, sustainable and desirable. The Park Hyatt St Kitts won the prestigious Best New Hotel Construction and Design St. Kitts & Nevis award at The International Property Awards 2014-2015. It also won the coveted award of Best New Hotel Construction and Design in the Caribbean 2014-2015. It is due to open in November 17. Range has two other developments in the region. The Cabrits Resort Kempinski in Dominica is the first government approved real estate project in Dominica under the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program. A minimum investment of US$ 220,000 in the project will entitle investors and their families to a citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica. It is currently under construction and the most advanced of any government-approved project on the island. Its third project, The Ritz-Carlton St. Lucia, was announced in August this year.
