Over the past year, the St. Kitts & Nevis CIU has worked diligently to transform its Citizenship by Investment Programme and reaffirm its commitment to being "The First and The Finest." A critical part of this transformation lies in how we, as an industry, promote the Programme. To this end, new marketing guidelines have been published.
Please take a moment to review these guidelines carefully and familiarize yourself with the content. Where applicable, please forward the new guidelines to colleagues or sub-agents with whom you work.
It is the intent to implement stricter monitoring of promotional activities to ensure all materials align with these standards so please take this announcement seriously and act accordingly.
Maintaining brand consistency is very much a team effort, and we thank you sincerely for your continued dedication in promoting the Programme. We look forward to working together to ensure that all future promotions reflect these standards.
Do
In practice, this means that if an Authorised Agent or International Marketing Agent wants to retain their licence, the Authorised Agent and International Marketing Agent will:
• Ensure their publication, dissemination and advertisement of information and promotions about the Programme, including press releases, marketing materials, web publications and social media adhere to the promotional guidelines.
• Be proactive and train and provide guidance to sub-agents on promoting the Programme in accordance with the promotional guidelines.
• Monitor sub-agents compliance.
• End any relationship with a sub-agent who fails to properly promote the CBI Programme in accordance with the promotional guidelines.
• Be politically neutral and not in any way convey that they are affiliated with a specific political party.
Don't
• Referring to specific visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries and territories, or the number of such countries and territories, to which citizens of Saint Christopher and Nevis may travel without first applying for a visa.
• The use of the terms “second passport”, “golden passport”, “strong passport”, “sale of passports”, “buying passports”, “investment in passports”, or any other similar terms which suggest the sale of a passport.
• Overtly claiming that the grant of a passport of Saint Christopher and Nevis is part of the process of the Programme.
• The use of any photograph, photocopy, video or any other form of media displaying or depicting a passport or Certificate of Registration issued by Saint Christopher and Nevis.
• The use of any photograph, photocopy, video or any other form of media displaying the imagery of officials of the Saint Christopher and Nevis Government or the Citizenship by Investment Unit without express authorisation from the Saint Christopher and Nevis Government or the Citizenship by Investment Unit.
• Deliberate misrepresentation of the details of the Citizenship by Investment Programme, that are not in line with those mandated by the legislative framework, Government guidance or information as stated on the official CIU website, including but not limited to: the legally prescribed minimum contribution or investment amount, application fees payable to the Government, processing time, and the scope of eligible dependants.
• Falsely suggesting that an applicant may acquire citizenship through the Citizenship by Investment Programme at investment costs that are lower than the legally prescribed minimum investment amount.
• Associating “special offers” or “special discounts” or any other form of discounting to the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
• The misleading comparison of the Citizenship by Investment Programme with similar programmes through information that extends beyond precise fact.
• Suggesting that an Authorised Agent, International Marketing Agent or anyone affiliated to the Programme may affect the decision-making process of the Government with respect to Citizenship by Investment applications, including the processing time and outcome of an application.
• Referring to the number of applicants who successfully acquired citizenship through the Citizenship by Investment Programme and the country of origin of those applicants.
• The use of any improper marketing practice, including but not limited to aggressive marketing techniques, blast advertising, mass text, push messages, text alerts, or any other marketing practice which brings the Citizenship by Investment Programme into disrepute.
Consequences
• Being liable to a fine.
• For Authorised Agents, being liable to having their Authorised Agent status revoked or suspended.
• For International Marketing Agents having their status revoked or suspended.
• Being listed on the CIU’s website as a person or entity not authorised to act as an agent or to act as a promoter of the Programme.
Should you or anyone you know have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone at ClientReferrals and it will be our pleasure to assist you.
