For most of its history, Grenada's citizenship by investment programme decided applications on paper. That has changed. Under the common standards agreed by the five Eastern Caribbean programmes in 2024, interviews have become a standard step, and applicants should now expect to be questioned, in person or by video, before a decision is made. For many families this is the most unfamiliar part of the process, and the one that causes most anxiety.
The interview is not an exam with right answers. Its purpose is to confirm that the person is who the file says they are, that they understand and stand behind what has been submitted, and that nothing in the investigators' findings remains unexplained. Applicants who know their own file and answer plainly usually find it straightforward.
Interview arrangements, including who conducts them, which family members attend and where, are still evolving as the regional regulator takes shape. What follows reflects common practice reported at the time of writing; your licensed agent will confirm the arrangements for your file.
Who is interviewed and how
The main applicant is interviewed, and adult dependants generally are too, often separately. Older teenagers may be included depending on the rules applied to the file. Younger children are not usually interviewed, although a parent may be asked about them. The Investment Migration Agency (IMA) arranges interviews through the Authorised Local Agent, who passes on the date, time and format.
Video interviews are common, which means applicants do not have to travel to Grenada. In-person interviews may be held in Grenada or at another location arranged by the IMA. Either way, the applicant must be identified properly at the start, usually by showing their passport, and should expect to be alone in the room unless an interpreter or other arrangement has been agreed.
Interviews are typically conducted in English. Where an applicant is not comfortable in English, an interpreter can usually be arranged, and this should be requested through the agent well before the date. Struggling through in a second language risks misunderstandings that read as inconsistencies.
Length varies with the complexity of the file. A straightforward interview may be short; one covering a complicated business history or a flagged issue may take considerably longer.
The kind of questions applicants report
Interviewers have the full application and, in many cases, the due diligence findings in front of them. Questions tend to fall into a few broad areas:
- Identity and background: place of birth, education, family, countries lived in and why you moved.
- Career and business: what you do, how your company makes money, your role, the number of employees, major clients or markets.
- Wealth and funds: how you built your wealth, where the specific investment money came from and how it was transferred.
- Motivation: why you want Grenadian citizenship, why this programme, and what you know about Grenada.
- Family: who is on the application, what each adult does, and the basis of any dependency.
- Travel and immigration history: previous visas, any refusals, other residence or citizenship applications.
- Specific issues: anything flagged by investigators, such as a court case, a press report or a company in a registry not mentioned in the file.
Answering well: principles rather than scripts
Know your own file. Read the application and the source-of-wealth statement again in the days before. Most awkward moments come from an answer that differs from what was written months earlier, not from a question that cannot be answered.
Be accurate, not polished. Interviewers are experienced at spotting rehearsed answers. A natural explanation in your own words, consistent with the documents, carries more weight than a memorised paragraph.
Say when you do not know. If you cannot remember an exact figure or date, say so and give an approximation, rather than guessing a number that later conflicts with the file.
Do not volunteer speculation. Answer the question asked. Long digressions can introduce new facts that then need to be checked.
Correct mistakes immediately. If you realise an earlier answer was wrong, say so during the interview. A correction offered freely is treated very differently from an inconsistency discovered later.
Be ready to talk about Grenada. Interest in the country is a reasonable thing to ask about. Basic familiarity with where it is, what its economy relies on and why you chose it is sensible preparation, not a test of trivia.
Practical preparation for a video interview
Technical problems are a surprisingly common source of stress and rescheduling. A little preparation avoids most of them:
- Confirm the platform, date and time zone with the agent in writing, and ask who to contact if the connection fails.
- Test the device, camera, microphone and internet connection in the room you will use, at the same time of day if possible.
- Choose a quiet, well-lit, private room; make sure family members, staff and pets will not interrupt.
- Have your passport ready to show on camera, and keep a copy of your application at hand only if the agent confirms this is acceptable.
- If an interpreter has been arranged, confirm how they will join and agree that you will speak in short passages.
- Join a few minutes early, dressed as you would for a business meeting, and keep your phone silent.
What agents can and cannot do
A good agent will brief you before the interview: the format, who will be present, the areas likely to be covered and any issue in the file that may come up. Some firms run mock interviews, which can help nervous applicants and expose parts of the story they have not thought through. That kind of preparation is legitimate and sensible.
What an agent should not do is give you answers to memorise that go beyond the facts in your file, or coach you to avoid a topic. If an adviser suggests a particular version of events that does not match your recollection or your documents, that is a warning sign, not help. The interview tests your own account, and you are the one making declarations to the government of Grenada.
Agents are not generally present in the interview itself, and they cannot intervene in it. Their role resumes afterwards, when they receive any follow-up questions from the IMA and help you respond.
After the interview
Follow-up requests. It is common for the IMA to ask for a document or clarification arising from the interview. Respond fully and promptly.
No instant decision. The interview is one input into the assessment. Decisions are communicated later through the agent.
Write a short note. Jot down the main questions and your answers soon afterwards. If a follow-up request arrives, you will want to stay consistent with what you said.
Keep details current. If anything material changes after the interview, such as a new job, a move or a legal matter, tell the agent; the duty to give accurate information continues until citizenship is granted.
Do not read the silence. Weeks without news after an interview are normal while the IMA completes its assessment. Silence is not a signal either way, and chasing through informal channels does not help.
Mistakes that make interviews harder than they need to be
The most common error is treating the interview as a formality and arriving without having reread the file. Applicants who lodged months earlier often misremember dates, figures or the order of events, and an innocent slip can look like a contradiction. Half an hour with the application the evening before prevents most of this.
A second mistake is over-preparing in the wrong way: memorising long statements prepared by an adviser, or rehearsing answers to questions about topics the applicant does not actually understand, such as the details of a company structure set up by an accountant. It is better to say that a specialist handled the structure, explain its purpose in plain terms and point to the documents.
Finally, family members are sometimes left out of the preparation. A spouse who has never seen the source-of-wealth statement may describe the family business differently. Brief every adult who will be interviewed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Grenada CBI interview mandatory?
Interviews are now a standard step under the regional standards adopted by the Eastern Caribbean programmes, and adult applicants should expect one. Exact arrangements are evolving, so confirm with your licensed agent who in your family will be interviewed.
Do you have to travel to Grenada for the interview?
Not necessarily. Video interviews are widely used, and in-person interviews may be arranged at locations set by the IMA. Your agent will tell you the format offered for your file and what identification you need to show.
Can the interview be done in a language other than English?
Interviews are generally conducted in English, but an interpreter can usually be arranged. Request one through your agent well in advance rather than struggling in a second language, which risks misunderstandings that look like inconsistencies.
Can someone fail the interview?
The interview is part of the overall assessment rather than a pass-or-fail test. Answers that contradict the file, evasiveness or new adverse information can weigh against the application, while clear, consistent answers support it.
How should applicants prepare for the Grenada CBI interview?
Reread your application and source-of-wealth statement, be ready to explain your career and funds in your own words, learn the basics about Grenada, and test the technology for a video call. Avoid memorised scripts.
