OECS/CARICOM free-movement (sub-citizenship status; NOT pathway-to-nationality)

The route rests on two regional treaties to which Antigua and Barbuda is a party; neither is a domestic naturalisation statute, and neither alters the Antiguan and Barbudan law of nationality. (1) OECS Economic Union — Revised Treaty of Basseterre, Economic Union Protocol, Article 12 "Movement of Persons" (signed 18 June 2010; the founding Treaty of Basseterre 1981 itself is "done at Basseterre on 18th June 1981" per the Revised Treaty's interpretation clause). Verbatim primary pins (decoded.txt): - **Art 12.1:** "Freedom of movement for citizens of Protocol Member States shall be secured within the Economic Union Area." - **Art 12.2:** "Such freedom of movement shall entail the abolition of any discrimination based on nationality between citizens of the Protocol Member States as regards employment, remuneration and other conditions of work and employment." - **Art 12.3:** "Citizens of Protocol Member States shall enjoy in the Economic Union Area the rights contingent to the right of freedom of movement that are agreed by Protocol Member States." - **Art 12.4:** "The OECS Authority and the OECS Commission shall regularly monitor the implementation of this Article." - **Art 12.5:** "Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article, a Protocol Member State may, subject to the approval of the OECS Authority, regulate the movement of such citizens." - "Economic Union Area" is the term defined as the collective jurisdictions of the Protocol Member States (the Protocol provides that those jurisdictions "are hereinafter collectively referred to as 'the Economic Union Area'"). The word "citizens" in Article 12 denotes the **nationals of the Protocol Member States** as they already are — the Article presupposes existing nationality and grants movement rights to those persons; it does not create a new nationality nor any acquisition mechanism. Article 11 ("Exclusion from this Protocol") further preserves prior treaty obligations of Protocol Member States, underscoring that the Protocol operates over and alongside existing national legal orders rather than supplanting nationality law. **(2) CARICOM CSME — Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, Articles 45–47** (signed 5 July 2001). Verbatim primary pins (decoded.txt): - Art 45 "Movement of Community Nationals": "Member States commit themselves to the goal of free movement of their nationals within the Community." - Art 46(1) "Movement of Skilled Community Nationals": Member States "undertake as a first step towards achieving the goal set out in Article 45, to accord to the following categories of Community nationals the right to seek employment in their jurisdictions: (a) University graduates; (b) media workers; (c) sportspersons; (d) artistes; and (e) musicians, recognised as such by the competent authorities of the receiving Member States." - Art 46(2)(b): legislative/administrative arrangements including "(i) the elimination of the requirement for passports for Community nationals travelling to their jurisdictions; (ii) the elimination of the requirement for work permits for Community nationals seeking approved employment in their jurisdictions; (iii) establishment of mechanisms for certifying and establishing equivalency of degrees and for accrediting institutions; (iv) harmonisation and transferability of social security benefits." - Art 46(3): "Nothing in this Treaty shall be construed as inhibiting Member States from according Community nationals unrestricted access to, and movement within, their jurisdictions subject to such conditions as the public interest may require." - Art 46(4): "The Conference shall keep the provisions of this Article under review in order to: (a) enlarge, as appropriate, the classes of persons entitled to move and work freely in the Community; and (b) monitor and secure compliance therewith." - Art 47(1) (safeguard): a Member State adversely affected by "serious difficulties in any sector of the economy" or "economic hardships in a region of the Community" may "apply such restrictions on the exercise of the rights as it considers appropriate", subject to notification of the competent Organ. Critically, both treaties speak only of the movement and economic rights of persons who are already nationals of a Member/Protocol State. Neither contains any clause by which a Community national or a Protocol Member State citizen becomes a national of the host state by exercising these rights. This is the legal foundation for the pathway_to_nationality=false and acquisition_type=none tags.