The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CARICOM IMPACS, the Caribbean Community’s security agency, have officially signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC). The agreement was signed at the Saint Kitts and Nevis embassy in Washington on July 10, 2026.
This new pact creates a framework to share biometric data (such as fingerprints and facial scans) across the region. Crucially, the DHS has tied this data-sharing agreement directly to security concerns surrounding the five Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs.
Rob Law, DHS Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans, stated that this is the first multilateral biometric information-sharing arrangement for the DHS. The program aims to strengthen border security and immigration vetting. Both parties plan to have this Biometric Data Sharing Partnership (BDSP) fully operational by the end of this year.
Why Is the US Launching This Biometric Check?
The US government wants to use biometric tracking to close security loopholes in investor passport programs. The DHS pointed directly to Presidential Proclamation 10998, a travel order signed on December 16, 2025.
Proclamation 10998 argues that “purchased citizenship” can be used by wealthy individuals to bypass travel restrictions, hide assets, or conceal their true identity.
Under the new MoC, automated database exchanges will screen and investigate any CBI applicants who might pose security or immigration risks to the United States or CARICOM member states.
Existing US Visa Restrictions Remain Unchanged
The biometric pact covers all five Caribbean CBI nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
However, this new security cooperation does not ease any existing punishments:
- The Target Countries: Only Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica face partial US visa restrictions under the 2025 proclamation.
- No Relief: The DHS explicitly confirmed that while biometric data will sharpen vetting practices, all existing visa restrictions and travel bans placed on those two islands will remain completely unchanged.
Caribbean Leaders Support the Security Upgrade
CARICOM IMPACS viewed the agreement in a more positive light. The agency described the pact as a critical security upgrade that will protect the integrity of economic migration before a passport is granted.
“This MoC shows a real, shared commitment to locking down our borders,” said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS.
The Caribbean agency already screens CBI applicant data through its Joint Regional Communications Centre in Barbados. This new biometric tool will also feed into the planned Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), a joint regional agency being built to standardize compliance.
Part of a Bigger Global Crackdown
This move by Washington runs parallel to heavy pressure coming from Europe. The European Commission recently updated its laws, stating that running a CBI program is enough reason to cancel visa-free travel. Brussels has also given Caribbean nations a strict deadline to phase out their programs by 2028.
For international investors, this new US-CARICOM pact means that the era of anonymous or remote citizenship is ending. Wealthy applicants looking to buy a Caribbean passport in 2026 will now face deep, automated US biometric security checks before approval.
