Early announcements indicate that at least four new programmes are expected to be introduced in 2026, with some governments already outlining their policy direction and anticipated launch dates.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Argentina, Botswana, and the Maldives are among the jurisdictions signalling their entry into the sector, each with its own economic priorities and regulatory approach.
The emergence of these programmes reflects both shifting global mobility trends and the growing willingness of governments to consider investment migration as part of their long-term policy mix.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Preparing to Join the five Caribbean CBI jurisdictions
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is moving forward with plans to establish its first Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme. The initiative gained fresh momentum following the November 2025 general election, in which the New Democratic Party (NDP) secured a decisive victory, ending more than two decades of rule by the Unity Labour Party.
During the campaign, the NDP expressly supported the introduction of a CBI programme as a tool for economic growth and diversification. They have conduced the survey to determine the opinion of the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines which found that 62 % of Vincentians expressed support for establishing a Citizenship by Investment programme, with only 28 % opposed and 10 % undecided. The survey of 1,004 registered voters were carried out between April 30 and May 4, 2025.
The government has begun signalling its intentions publicly, with Deputy Prime Minister Major St. Clair Leacock emphasising that investment citizenship will form part of the nation’s long-term economic transformation agenda.
Leacock noted that the programme is expected to stimulate meaningful employment and support broader socio-economic needs. His statements also suggest that SVG aims to model its framework on regional best practices, referencing reforms in Grenada and the wider Memorandum of Agreement that standardises investment thresholds, due-diligence expectations, and security protocols across the five CBI jurisdictions in the Eastern Caribbean.
Argentina: South America Steps Into Citizenship-by-Investment
South America is also entering the evolving CBI space as Argentina prepares a direct citizenship-by-investment route. The government has indicated that the programme will launch in late 2025 or early 2026 and will target foreign investors willing to contribute to high-value sectors of the economy.
Early briefings suggest the programme will centre on active investment rather than passive financial contributions, with a proposed minimum of USD 500,000 directed into priority industries such as technology, agribusiness, energy, or tourism.
Unlike Argentina’s traditional two-year residency pathway to citizenship, the proposed investment route will not have any physical residency requirement, a major departure from existing immigration policy.
Argentine law, permits alternative citizenship, although they treat naturalised citizens as fully Argentine as they cannot renounce nationality later. Authorities have, however, cautioned that investors must consider the country’s political and economic volatility, as well as long-term tax implications tied to permanent citizenship.
The initiative appears to be tailored to entrepreneurs and active investors rather than remote workers or passive applicants, reflecting the government’s intention to encourage deeper economic engagement.
Botswana: A New African Contender in the Investment Migration Industry
Africa is also witnessing momentum in investment migration, with Botswana confirming that it has begun developing its first Citizenship by Investment Programme. The government recently signed an agreement to draft the framework, aiming to channel capital into sectors vital to Botswana’s growth strategy, among them tourism, renewable energy, mining, and financial services.
At this early stage, the country has not released official pricing or eligibility criteria, and they will provide full details after the publishing of the formal guidelines,
Botswana’s announcement follows similar developments across the continent, including the launch of São Tomé and Príncipe’s donation-based citizenship programme in 2025 and Sierra Leone’s dual structure offering both residency and citizenship routes through investment.
The clustering of new initiatives suggests that Africa may be emerging as the next significant region exploring investment citizenship as a tool for economic expansion. However, each jurisdiction is taking a distinct approach, and Botswana’s final model will determine how it positions itself relative to these new entrants.
Maldives: Introducing the Pearl Residence Programme in April 2026
In the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is preparing to establish its first structured residency-by-investment initiative, known as the Maldives Pearl Residence Programme. Scheduled for launch in April 2026, the programme will provide residency status through qualifying investments in selected developments and assets.
Officials have stated that the purpose of the framework is to focus on procedural transparency, regulatory clarity, and sustainability considerations, reflecting broader national goals under the country’s Vision 2040 strategy.
While the government has not yet released specific financial thresholds or investment categories, early statements indicate that the programme will target projects that support economic diversification and long-term development.
Nauru Faces Setback as UK Imposes Visa Requirements
In 2025, the citizenship landscape also witnessed a notable reversal, this time involving Nauru’s newly established CBI programme. On December 9, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed immediate visa requirements on Nauru nationals, describing the Pacific nation’s investment-based citizenship framework as an unsustainable border-security risk.
Under the new rules, Nauru citizens now must apply for visitor visas and Direct Airside Transit Visas before travelling to the UK. The authorities also granted short grace period only to individuals holding Electronic Travel Authorisations with confirmed bookings. The booking should be before the announcement, allowing entry until January 20, 2026.
This development came less than a year after Nauru launched its citizenship programme at the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, offering citizenship through contributions beginning at USD 105,000.
The programme had initially attracted attention for its accessible price point and its timing amid global discussions on climate resilience and economic diversification. However, the UK’s abrupt policy shift underscores how vulnerable newly launched programmes can be to international scrutiny, and how external responses may influence their long-term credibility and trajectory.
