Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

4th-generation BVIslanders now added to govt's regularisation initiative - BVI News

4th-generation BVIslanders now added to govt's regularisation initiative - BVI News

Fourth-generation British Virgin Islanders without regularised status in the BVI have now been included in government’s fast-track regularisation initiative to gain Belongership in the territory. A fourth-generation Virgin Islanders are persons whose great-grandparents were born in the BVI and/or have status in the territory. Fourth-generation Virgin Islanders without Belonger status are those whose parents — and perhaps themselves — were born outside of the BVI.

Speaking in the House of Assembly for the second reading of the bill entitled the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) (No.2) Act of 2019, Premier Andrew Fahie said it was the local “population” that requested for fourth-generation descendants to be included in his government’s fast-track initiative.

But, besides being fast-tracked, Fahie said government will also make it easier for these class of fourth-generation Virgin Islanders to gain status in the territory.

“The Passport Office has advised that there is a need and there has always been a need to simplify the process to facilitate fourth-generation Virgin Islander descendants and to bring them under the ambit of the law the same way the third-generation descendants have been created for,” Premier Fahie said.

Descendants should not have obstacles in their way

The Premier said these descendants of Virgin Islanders should not have barriers in their way if they desire to return to the BVI.

“The fourth-generation descendants are the great-grand-children of BVIslanders. They are not strangers. They are family — a bit distant for some, but family nonetheless,” Fahie reasoned.

The Premier further argued: “It is about reuniting families, it is about completing families that are separated and torn apart by man-made laws — laws which may not have been created with any intention of harm but which, due to circumstances that were not foreseen at the time, were not provided for in the drafting of the law. So, the issue is not so much about Immigration as it is about repatriation.”

Benefits of accommodating the estranged fourth-generation

And while outlining reasons to accommodate these descendants, Premier Fahie said there will be benefits to the territory.

He said they will help in increasing the territory’s indigenous manpower pool, create jobs, and bring with them intellectual capacity and skills that are needed in the territory.

“We need people. People will always be coming here whether we like it or not. So, in the first instance, I submit, if people are always going to be coming here, why not give preference to our great-grandchildren who can inherit our heritage?”

He added: “When people relocate, they often move their wealth with them so that some if not all the wealth of our returning descendants will be brought into the domestic system.”

Incentive to stay

As part of government’s transformation agenda for the BVI, Premier Fahie said his government would also provide reasons for these descendants to remain in the territory.

Notably, Fahie said the amendment to accommodate fourth-generation Virgin Islanders will not require any additional resources from the government. He said the provisions that were already made in government’s fast-track regularisation programme will suffice.

Other amendments

Other amendments to the aforementioned legislation include increasing the tenure requirements for expatriates wanting to apply for Belonger status. Expats will now have to be living in the BVI for 20 years, which represents a five-year increase.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×