CS Global Partners Report: US Nationals Account for One-Third of Global Citizenship Applications in Q1 2026

London, United Kingdom, September 30th, 2026, FinanceWire

US nationals accounted for close to a third of all citizenship applications processed worldwide in the first quarter of 2026, according to the USA Spotlight Report 2026 published by the citizenship advisory firm CS Global Partners. In the Caribbean, Americans made up roughly half of all applicants over the same period.

That growth arrived while the region was making its programmes harder to enter. Caribbean countries raised investment thresholds, introduced mandatory interviews and biometric requirements, and tightened due diligence across 2025 and 2026. “Demand from American applicants grew through those changes, not despite them,” the report noted.

The USA Spotlight 2026 credits the programmes that held their standards. Those that applied consistent due diligence, admitted whole families and declined to compete on price have kept the confidence of applicants.

Americans Looking Elsewhere

The report describes American families treating a second citizenship as a Plan B, acquired while they keep their US citizenships. Inquiries built steadily through 2025 and into 2026 without spiking around any single political or economic event, which the report puts down to political uncertainty and a broader reassessment of how much risk sits in holding one nationality.

Demand for Caribbean citizenship by investment has continued to climb even since the launch of the Gold Card, President Donald Trump’s US$1 million route to American permanent residency, which opened to applications in December 2025.

Across the wider survey, 71.6% of HNWI’s said they were more likely to consider an additional citizenship in response to global events, against 2.7% who were less likely. Americans ranked highest within that group. Only around a third of mass affluent Americans said they were confident their existing citizenship would deliver the same security and opportunity over the next decade.

The Demand

The programmes absorbing that demand, the report found, are largely the oldest ones. St. Kitts and Nevis launched the first citizenship by investment programme of its kind in 1984 and has run it for four decades, weathering the periodic scandals and EU pressure that have closed or curtailed programmes elsewhere. Dominica followed in 1993 and has built its reputation on consistent due diligence.

Newer Caribbean programmes have since entered the market. But the established ones have kept their share by making themselves harder to join, and Americans, now half of all Caribbean applicants, have kept applying anyway.

About CS Global Partners

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, CS Global Partners is a leading consultancy dedicated to providing tailored citizenship and residency solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families worldwide.

With a specialised team of multilingual professionals committed to maintaining client confidentiality, it delivers strategic Citizenship and Residency by Investment solutions that transform lives. The company empowers both governments and individuals, fostering economic growth, stability, and security for enhanced lifestyles.

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