Kiribati investment visa

The first question on the form asks whether the principal applicant holds an approved Foreign Investment Certificate from the Investment Promotion Division, issued under the Foreign Investment Act 2018. If not, the form states that the applicant cannot proceed. The certificate must be attached to the application.

The Immigration Procedure manual explains that any investment by a natural person who is not I-Kiribati needs this certificate. Approval under the Foreign Investment Act 2018 depends on an economic needs test: the Investment Promotion Division looks at whether the project will create jobs for local people, increase exports, reduce imports and open access to foreign markets. The certificate is issued under section 17 of the Act and produced on the form prescribed by the Foreign Investment Regulations 2019.

Only the principal applicant has to show the certificate, but the principal and every family member must meet the general lodgement rules, be bona fide applicants and satisfy the health and character requirements. The manual also notes that a certificate holder may invest without taking this visa; the investment visa exists so that the investor can stay for a longer period for the purpose of investing.

Applicants provide the completed, signed form, the approved certificate, the fee, two colour passport photos and the passport for everyone included, medical certificates and police certificates if required, and evidence of the relationship with any partner or children included.

Obtain the Foreign Investment Certificate first, then complete the investment visa form, confirm the fee with the visa officer and send the application with photocopies to the Immigration Division in Bairiki.

An investment visa is a temporary visa. The first grant allows a stay of up to two years with multiple travel conditions, so the holder can leave and re-enter. One further visa of up to two years can be applied for, which brings the maximum on investment visas to four years. By signing the form, the investor agrees to leave Kiribati before the visa expires; a person who stays on after expiry may be deported, and the declaration states that this can happen without a right of appeal.

The investment visa form can be used for a single person or a family made up of the principal applicant, a partner and dependent children under 18, with proof of each relationship.

The form asks every person included about medical conditions that may need hospital care, pregnancy, criminal convictions, pending charges, past refusals, removals, and links to terrorist groups or regimes involved in war crimes. An acceptable standard of health means being unlikely to endanger public health or to burden Kiribati health services. Police certificates under six months old are needed from the country of citizenship and every country lived in for five years or more since age 17 when the total planned stay is 24 months or longer, unless certificates under 24 months old were already given to Immigration.

Immigration officers verify the documents; an application can be declined if they cannot establish that a document is genuine or find it false or misleading. Decisions are given in writing with full reasons, listing each ground on which an application fails.