Ursula Barzey on Exploring Caribbean Citizenship and Moving to the Caribbean on the Carry On Friends The Caribbean Podcast

Exploring Caribbean Citizenship & Moving to the Caribbean

In this week’s episode I chat with Ursula Barzey, the Founder of the Caribbean & Co blog. Ursula shares with us her wealth of knowledge on Caribbean citizenship and how to successfully move to the Caribbean.

Originally from Montserrat, Ursula grew up in the United States and has now lived in the UK for the past 10 years. Through her global experiences over the years, she gained a deep desire to reconnect with Caribbean culture, embrace it, and share it with others.

Caribbean Citizenship by Investment

She explains that though tourism is a high source of revenue for the Caribbean, especially pre-pandemic, a large portion of the money earned is leaked out of the country. This often leaves countries with limited funds for infrastructure and development.

With this in mind, Caribbean countries like St. Kitts and Nevis look to citizenship by investment programs as a means of earning revenue. They use their passport as a product to be sold, and in turn are able to afford capital projects in the country. 

Ursula also emphasizes the high value that Caribbean passports hold. Obtaining a Caribbean passport should be viewed as asset management and a way to prepare for the future. 

She encourages those of Caribbean heritage to explore the options available to them even if they have a United States passport. We are to first consider a passport by descent, and if this is not possible, then consider buying one through a citizenship by investment program.

Digital Nomad Program

We also touched on being a digital nomad. While this is not a new concept, it has certainly amplified with the pandemic. For example, Barbados implemented the Welcome Stamp program in 2020. Since it is key that these persons have a job in another country while living in Barbados, the program has raised millions of US dollars through fees and living expenses.

Considering a Move to the Caribbean?

In this episode Ursula also sheds light on the do’s and don’ts for moving to the Caribbean. Anyone considering such a move should visit the specific country for a few months first in order to ease in and manage expectations before making the move. Additionally, they should tap into existing resources such as real estate agents and the expat community in the country.

Ursula encourages listeners to be flexible and open to countries different from the one of their ancestors when moving to the Caribbean. In order to pick the right country, we must factor in things like access to necessary services and the pace of the country.

Anyone thinking about making a move to the Caribbean can visit Caribbean & Co for a wealth of free resources. In addition, Ursula provides concierge services for those looking for further assistance with Caribbean citizenship and moving to the Caribbean.

Key Points

  • Ursula Barzey explains citizenship by investment and how it helps Caribbean countries earn revenue.
  • Caribbean passports are valuable and should be viewed as asset management and a way to prepare for the future. 
  • Persons can obtain Caribbean passports through descent or through citizenship by investment programs.
  • Before moving to a Caribbean country you should visit for a couple months to ease in and manage expectations.
  • When moving to the Caribbean, choose a country that matches your needs and desires.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Kerry-Ann

Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown is Founder & host of Carry On Friends one of the first podcasts dedicated to the Caribbean American Experience. She is leading the way for Caribbean Podcast as the founder of Breadfruit Media, the first Caribbean podcast production company; and founder of the Caribbean Podcast Directory a place to discover podcasts by people of Caribbean Heritage.