One year after four CARICOM countries began allowing their nationals to move more freely across their borders, 939 people have been processed under the arrangement, with hundreds gaining the right to remain indefinitely.
The initiative, which took effect on October 1, 2025, involves Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines under CARICOM’s Free Movement regime through Enhanced Cooperation.
The participating countries have been working to put the necessary laws, administrative systems and institutions in place to make the arrangement work in practice.
A CARICOM release said that under the agreement, nationals of the four participating countries can enter and remain indefinitely in the other participating states. They can also work without needing a work permit and access specified services, subject to the arrangements established in each country.
Implementation reports from the four states indicate that the system is now operational and has been supporting greater movement, employment opportunities and access to designated services for eligible CARICOM nationals.
According to the release, Barbados has recorded the largest number of applications so far. Between October 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026, the country processed 918 applications. Authorities reported that implementation has generally gone smoothly, helped by cooperation among government agencies and public-information efforts.
In Belize, 146 people have been granted free movement status. Of those beneficiaries, nine have subsequently registered with the Social Security Board.
Dominica has processed five applications, while St Vincent and the Grenadines has facilitated seven.
Together, the four countries have processed 939 people under the initiative. The figure includes some nationals who were already living in the participating states before the free movement arrangement officially came into effect on October 1, 2025.
The first anniversary provides an early indication of how the enhanced free movement arrangement is being implemented, with the participating countries continuing to develop the systems needed to support residence, employment and access to specified contingent rights.
The initiative represents a significant step in CARICOM’s efforts to deepen regional integration by making it easier for nationals of participating Member States to live and work across participating countries.
