Barbadians Among First Granted Indefinite Stay in SVG as free movement begins

By Admin. Updated 8:10 p.m., Wednesday, October 1 2025, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Several Barbadian citizens who travelled to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) today, 1 October, were among the first to be granted indefinite stay as freedom of movement commenced between SVG, Barbados, Dominica, and Belize.

The Passports and Immigration Department announced on its official Facebook page that it “was delighted to grant an Indefinite Stay of Entry today October 1st, 2025, to these Barbadian Citizens as part of the CARICOM Full Free Movement of persons which also includes Belize and Dominica.”

“They were all happy to have an Indefinite Stamp placed in their passports,” the department added, “We welcome you and we hope that you enjoy your stay here in beautiful St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) explains that the free movement arrangement means nationals of these four countries will no longer be limited to temporary entry of up to six months or restricted to working under the CARICOM skills regime.

“Nationals from these four countries will be able to travel to any of these four countries to reside, work and remain indefinitely, with the right to access emergency and primary health care as well as public primary and secondary education for their children,” CARICOM states on its website.

Read below, the measures announced by CARICOM: 

The decision by the four Member States to implement full Free Movement ahead of the other Member States, was approved by CARICOM Heads of Government during their meeting in July 2025. This arrangement falls under the Enhanced Cooperation Protocol to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which provides for groups of at least three CARICOM Member States to pursue deeper regional integration efforts among themselves, with the option for other Member States to join later.

Extensive Preparations Undertaken

The four Member States have been meeting to finalize common approaches and have confirmed that the necessary arrangements are in place to support the full free movement of their nationals among the four Member States as of 1 October 2025. Extensive preparations have been undertaken to ensure a smooth and secure rollout of full Free Movement among these four Member States. These include:

• Indefinite Stay at Entry: Nationals of the four participating Member States will receive a stamp or digital record of indefinite stay on arrival.
• Registration: Systems have been established to allow for registration of incoming nationals, enabling access to services such as education and healthcare, and allowing national agencies to plan for any increased demand.
• Security and Health Safeguards: Effective oversight measures are in place to ensure that individuals who pose a threat to national security, public health, or would become a cost to the public are either denied entry or subject to removal. These measures will be supported by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) which coordinates Member States security cooperation and administers the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), which mandates submission of passenger data before travel.
• Complaints Mechanism: Nationals who experience difficulties at ports of entry or after entry may use the CARICOM Complaints Procedure, which is already operational under the CSME. Forms are available at all ports of entry, and complaints will be reviewed within two weeks, with investigations completed within eight weeks, where necessary.

With systems in place and preparations complete, the four countries are ready to manage the new Free Movement arrangements effectively in the best interest of their citizens and the wider Region.

END

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