In January 2021 a short provision in a US law reshaped the market for Grenadian investor citizenship. The Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Economy Act, known as the AMIGOS Act, added Portugal to the treaty investor list and attached a condition aimed squarely at citizenship by investment: people who gained treaty nationality through a financial investment must have been domiciled in that country for a continuous period of at least three years before they can qualify for an E visa.
For Grenada, the only Caribbean investment programme country with an E-2 treaty, the effect was immediate. The fast route from new passport to US business visa disappeared. What remains is a slower route for people willing to move to Grenada properly. This page explains the rule as understood at the time of writing, what domicile is likely to mean in practice and how to judge whether the plan is realistic for your family. The interpretation of domicile is a legal question, so the final word belongs to US consular officers and your own US immigration attorney.
What the law says, in plain terms
The provision does three things. It identifies a group of people, those who acquired the nationality of a treaty country through a financial investment. It sets a condition for that group, domicile in the treaty country for a continuous period of at least three years. And it ties that condition to eligibility for E-1 and E-2 status on the basis of that nationality.
The rule does not stop anyone becoming a Grenadian citizen through the programme, and it does not change the treaty between Grenada and the United States. It only affects whether investor citizens can use the treaty for an E visa. Citizens by birth, descent, marriage or long-residence naturalisation did not acquire nationality through a financial investment, so they sit outside the group.
The rule is generally read as applying regardless of when the investor obtained citizenship, including people naturalised under the programme before 2021. There is also an open question about dependants who received citizenship as part of the main applicant's file. Both points deserve a direct answer from counsel before anyone relies on an assumption.
What "domicile" is likely to mean
More than presence. Domicile in legal usage generally means the place that is your true, fixed and permanent home, where you intend to remain. It is a stronger idea than having an address or spending holidays somewhere.
Continuity matters. The rule speaks of a continuous period. Long absences, a family home kept elsewhere or a career clearly run from another country can all suggest your real home was not Grenada during the three years.
Facts, not declarations. A statement that Grenada is your home carries little weight on its own. Officers are likely to look for the ordinary signs of a life lived on the island: where you sleep most nights, where your children go to school, where you pay tax and where your income is managed.
Officer judgment. Because the State Department has not published a points system for domicile, consular officers exercise judgment. Two applicants with similar facts can face different questions, which is one more reason to build a clear record from day one.
Evidence worth building from the first month
If you plan to rely on Grenadian domicile, start collecting proof the day you arrive, not three years later. Useful records include:
- A long lease or title to the home you live in, with utility accounts for electricity, water and internet in your name.
- Entry and exit stamps, boarding passes and an annual log of days spent in and out of Grenada.
- Grenadian tax registration and income tax returns, since spending 183 days or more a year in Grenada generally makes an individual tax resident.
- A local bank account in regular use, a Grenadian driving permit and registration with a local doctor.
- School enrolment records for children, membership of clubs, churches or professional bodies.
- Evidence that former homes abroad were sold, let or genuinely given up, and that foreign tax residence has ended where that is possible.
What the three years actually involve
Moving to Grenada is a real relocation. Residential areas favoured by newcomers include Lance aux Epines, Westerhall, Grand Anse, Morne Rouge and St David's, and rental and property costs vary widely with location and the view. Families need to plan schooling: Grenada has public and private primary and secondary schools, and several international-style options around the south of the island.
Working life matters too. A citizen can live and work in Grenada without a work permit, so running a local business or working remotely for an overseas company is possible, but the tax consequences of remote income should be checked with a licensed adviser in both countries. Healthcare is centred on the General Hospital in St George's and private clinics, with serious cases sometimes referred overseas, so international health insurance is common among new residents.
Hurricane season runs from June to November. Grenada sits at the southern edge of the main hurricane belt but is not immune, as Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Hurricane Beryl in 2024 showed.
Mistakes that undermine a domicile claim
The most damaging mistake is treating Grenada as a mailing address. A home that is rented but rarely occupied, combined with months spent in a former home country, is the pattern the law was written to catch. Another is failing to file Grenadian tax returns while continuing to file as a resident elsewhere, which leaves an official record contradicting the claim.
Some families split, with one parent living in Grenada and the children staying at school abroad. That arrangement can be explained, but it raises questions about where the family home really is. Others run their main business openly from another country and visit Grenada between trips. The more your life visibly centres elsewhere, the harder the claim becomes.
Finally, be wary of anyone offering a "domicile package" with a nominal lease and a utility bill. Such paperwork can be tested against immigration movement records, and a misrepresentation finding at a US consulate can have lasting consequences for future visas.
After the three years: making the application
Once the domicile period is complete, the E-2 application itself follows the normal route: a qualifying US business, a substantial investment at risk, the forms and an interview. The difference is an extra layer of evidence. Expect to show how and when you obtained citizenship, the dates of your residence in Grenada and the records that prove your life was based there.
Assemble that evidence as a separate, well-indexed section of the application rather than scattering it through the binder. A short chronology, with supporting documents for each year, helps an officer see continuity at a glance.
Your plans after the visa are relevant too. The E-2 requires an intention to leave the US when status ends. Keeping ties to Grenada, such as a home, a local business or family links, can support that intention. At the same time, moving the family to the US will usually change your tax residence, so take advice in both countries about timing and reporting before the move.
Deciding whether the route is right for you
The domicile route can work, but only for people for whom living in Grenada is a genuine choice rather than a tolerated delay. Work through these questions honestly with your family and advisers before booking flights or signing a lease:
- Would you choose to live in Grenada for three years even if no US visa followed?
- Can your income and business continue from Grenada without your life visibly centring on another country?
- Does your US business plan still make sense if it starts three or more years from now?
- Is there a nationality you already hold, or could obtain by descent, that gives E-2 eligibility without the domicile condition?
- Have you compared the timeline with US routes that do not depend on treaty nationality, such as EB-5 or employment-based visas?
Frequently asked questions
Does buying property in Grenada count as domicile?
Ownership alone is not domicile. Officers are likely to ask whether you actually lived in the property as your main home for a continuous three-year period. A villa used for a few weeks a year, however expensive, would not usually meet the standard.
Can time spent in Grenada before getting citizenship count?
The rule refers to domicile in the treaty country before applying for the visa, not specifically after naturalisation. Whether earlier residence counts in your case is a question for a US immigration attorney, who can review dates and evidence.
Do children who got citizenship as dependants face the rule?
This is an unsettled point. They acquired nationality through the family's investment application, so a cautious assumption is that the rule may apply. Get written advice before planning a dependant's own E-2 application.
How many days a year should someone spend in Grenada?
No published day count defines domicile for E-2 purposes. Spending most of the year in Grenada, filing tax returns as a resident and keeping your main home there are stronger signals than any single number of days.
Has the rule been changed since 2021?
At the time of writing the three-year domicile requirement remained part of US law. Legislation and consular guidance can change, so check current State Department guidance and ask counsel before relying on this summary.
