Registration entitlements (general)

The general registration entitlements under Constitution s.92 + Citizenship Act Cap 1.05 s.3 (incl. minors, persons connected with SKN, and the procedural registration provisions).

• Registration entitlement classes under Constitution s.92(1): (a) spouse of a citizen; (b) Commonwealth citizen ordinarily resident 14 years immediately preceding application; (c) a former citizen who renounced citizenship (right of resumption); (d) a person who, but for renunciation, would have become a citizen by s.90; (e) spouse of a (b)/(c)/(d) person; (f) certain widow(er)/former spouses; (g) a person under 18 who is the child of a citizen or of a person entitled to register under the preceding paragraphs; and (h) such other persons as Parliament may prescribe. All are entitlements (not discretionary), subject only to the s.92 defence/public-safety/public-order proviso. - Resumption / re-acquisition of citizenship: Constitution s.92(1)(c) entitles any person who, having been a citizen, has renounced citizenship to be registered again — a statutory right of resumption. The Citizenship Regulations route s.92(1)(c) and (d) applications through Form R.3. The associated registration fee (Reg Schedule 5 para 3) is EC$1,120.00 for a SCN-by-birth citizen or CARICOM citizen/belonger, EC$2,120.00 for a citizen of any other Commonwealth country. - Derivative minor registration: Constitution s.92(1)(g) entitles a person under 18 who is the child of a citizen (or of a person entitled to register under the preceding paragraphs) to be registered; the application is made by parent/guardian (s.92(2)), or by the minor if married. Citizenship Act s.3(7) carries the procedural rule that an application under s.3(2)/(6) for a minor is made by parent/guardian (or by the minor if married). Regulations route s.92(1)(g)/s.3 minor applications through Form R.4; the registration fee (Reg Schedule 5 para 4) is EC$340.00.

• Oath requirement for registration: Constitution s.92(3) requires every person not already owing allegiance to the Crown who, having reached 18, applies for registration under s.92(1) to take the oath of allegiance before registration. Applications for registrants under 18 are made by parent/guardian (s.92(2)), unless the minor is or has been married, in which case the minor may apply himself/herself.

• Determination timeline for refusal investigations: where the Minister decides to conduct an investigation under Citizenship Act s.3(9) into whether the s.3(11) refusal conditions exist, the s.3(8) determination must be made within a period not exceeding two years from the date of receipt of the application (s.3(10)).

Timeline: standard. Document burden: medium. Required: none of residency/language/presence/renunciation.

• Spouse registration government fee: Citizenship Regulations Schedule 5 para 1 sets the fee for registration as a citizen under Constitution s.92(1)(a) or 92(1)(e) at EC$620.00. The certificate-of-registration grant fee under s.90/s.91(h)/s.92(i),(f) is EC$120.00 (Reg Schedule 5 para 6).

Primary statute: Constitution s.92; Citizenship Act s.3. Operative 1983-09-19–present. Authority: Ministry of National Security.