Vincentian nationality law is regulated by the Saint Vincent Constitution Order of 1979, as amended; the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Citizenship Act of 1984, and its revisions; and various British Nationality laws.[1][2] These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Vincentian nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to parents with Vincentian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalisation.[3] There is not currently a program in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for persons to acquire nationality through investment in the country.[4] Nationality establishes one's international identity as a member of a sovereign nation.[5] Though it is not synonymous with citizenship, for rights granted under domestic law for domestic purposes, the United Kingdom, and thus the commonwealth, have traditionally used the words interchangeably.[6]
- ^ Fransman 2011, p. 1207.
- ^ Belton 2020, p. 1.
- ^ Belton 2020, pp. 2–3, 5.
- ^ Belton 2020, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Fransman 2011, p. 3.
- ^ Fransman 2011, p. 4.