Sean Nicholson On Obtaining St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship

Sean

South African Entrepreneur, Dubai

Being a fellow South African and having lived in the Middle East for many years, Ilana knew exactly what our challenges were."

Latitude specializes in citizenship and residency in investment. We are a leading firm because of our expert team. Many of them have acquired second citizenships or new residencies. This qualifies them to act as advisors.

The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship-by-Investment programme was the world’s first. It offers a template others have followed, particularly in the Caribbean region. You can enjoy visa-free travel to 155 countries including the EU Schengen Zone with a St Kitts and Nevis passport. Enhancing global mobility is one of the reasons the country is rated the joint-best Citizenship-by-Investment programme in the world.

St Kitts and Nevis has become a favourite with our clients and we enjoy a long-standing relationship with the country’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU). We helped Sean Nicholson acquire Caribbean citizenship. This is his story.

Addressing Passport Problems

South African Sean moved to the UAE with his family in 2003. He started INC Group in 2013 who offer furniture supply, interior construction, and office design services. The business has expanded, with offices in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.

“As a family we really enjoy traveling and our South African passports did not give us the global access we needed,” recalls Sean.” Every single trip required an effort to make appointments, gather the necessary documents, and be stuck in the UAE whilst we waited.”

“Expanding and operating my business requires a lot of travel at the drop of a hat and it was clear that I needed to be more efficient, ” Sean explains. “We have two sons that are now entering their teenage years and they often have school trip that take them to great locations…but we used to have to join a visa queue to allow them to participate.”

Receiving Advice From a Friend

A good friend from South Africa recommended Ilana Meyer. Ilana is one of our Strategic Partners and she had helped this friend with a Portugal Golden Visa. Sean made an appointment with her about Portugese residency.

But it soon became clear to Sean that the Portugal Golden Visa was not for him. He had “neither the patience nor the time”. Learning another language was an extra turn-off.

What Sean did want was a second citizenship. It would give him and his family a sense of security. As discussed above, it would also enable them to travel more easily.

Putting Faith in St Kitts and Nevis

Consulting Ilana allowed Sean the chance to assess the different options. He came to the conclusion that a Caribbean citizenship was the ideal programme. It provided the Plan B that he and his family were looking for.

St Kitts and Nevis was the most appealing of the five Caribbean CBI programmes. There are three investment options. Sean chose to make a donation to the Sustainable Grown Fund rather than invest in real estate.

The first time Sean used his new passport was on a 2023 work trip to the UK. He returned to Britain with his family. Then they toured Europe.

Tapping into a Fountain of Knowledge

For Sean, Ilana’s SME proved invaluable. Her know-how was the ingredient to “make this process seamless”. Ilana was able to source the various civil documents needed from South Africa.

But it isn’t just Ilana that Sean enthuses about. “The team in Dubai went above and beyond to help with the administration,” he explains. “They were always quick to respond to any questions and sent a driver to the office whenever required.”

Their professional service impressed Sean. Latitude is made up of experienced advisors like Ilana. They know the citizenship and residency requirements inside out.

How to Follow in the Footsteps of Sean

If you want to realize your second citizenship ambitions like Sean, get in touch with us. We can’t wait to help you get from A to (Plan) B. Don’t delay, contact us today.

Success summary

Sean recommends “a consultation with someone that works with all the different options globally – this helped me make the best decision for my family.”

Prepare for a deluge of red tape too, he warns: “Once you start the process, the volume of paperwork is daunting, but if you break down the timeline and start gathering information in the right order, it all comes together.” “Ilana helped us make sense of this timeline.”

Sean’s last words of advice are that “it is not worth trying to take any short cuts as you always end up having to provide what is requested originally!”