US removes advisory on St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Programme

St. Kitts and Nevis: The United States Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has formally removed the advisory for St. Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship Programme on February 24, 2026.

According to the Citizenship Unit of St. Kitts and Nevis, the advisory which had been in place since 2014 has been removed due to the comprehensive reforms taken to enhance the due diligence and compliance standards of the programme.

Over the past years, the government and the unit of St. Kitts and Nevis have taken steps to transform the programme with implementation of multi-layered due diligence frameworks.

The steps included:

• Commissioning of the independent external reviews and audits

• Introduction of mandatory applicant interviews

• Implementation of Advanced Biometric Identity Verification Systems

• Alignment of all operational procedures with global AML/CTC best practices.

Since 2014, St. Kitts and Nevis has announced several reforms for its Citizenship Programme to address the concerns raised by the advisory.

The first thing which was done by the unit was the establishment of a statutory body, aiming to ensure institutional independence, accountability, and strategic oversight with robust structures for compliance monitoring and decision making.

On the second, the Unit implemented strategic vetting frameworks with mandatory biometric data collection for all new applicants. These steps enhanced the identity verification and border security.

For the third, the Unit has decided to redesign its Citizenship Programme with the introduction of a mandatory genuine-line requirement. It has also announced the residency requirement for the applicants of citizenship.

The Unit has also enhanced its collaboration with law enforcement locally, regionally and internationally. It has supported effective information sharing, enhanced situational awareness and ensured a coordinated, holistic approach to matters of security interest.

Chairman Calvin St. Juste added that the rescission of the FinCEN advisory has reaffirmed confidence in the programme under the new governance framework as a statutory body. He said that the  milestone comes in light after St. Kitts and Nevis has taken comprehensive steps to enhance its programme.