Can I include my spouse in a CBI application?
Yes — every operative CBI programme includes the principal applicant's spouse and dependent children. Most also include parents and grandparents above a stated age (typically 55 or 65) with documentation of dependence. Sibling inclusion is rare — Antigua & Barbuda is the only operative programme that permits it among the harmonised five. Same-sex spouses are recognised by Maltese and Portuguese programmes; not by all Caribbean.
Spouse and dependent-child inclusion is universal across operative CBI programmes. Every programme includes the principal applicant's spouse and dependent children up to a stated age threshold — typically 18, sometimes 25 if in full-time education. Adult children outside the dependency definition file separately. Parents and grandparents are included by most programmes subject to documentation of financial dependence on the principal applicant; the qualifying age is typically 55 or 65. Sibling inclusion is rare — Antigua & Barbuda uniquely permits it among the harmonised Caribbean five; Malta does not. Same-sex spouses are recognised by Maltese, Portuguese, and Spanish programmes (where applicable); Caribbean recognition varies by programme and jurisdiction. The inclusion fee structure typically uses a base + per-additional-dependant model — marginal cost per additional family member is materially lower than the principal applicant's contribution. For families of four or more, per-head economics improve materially. Inclusion is filed at initial application; post-grant family additions are possible at most programmes subject to additional fees and supplementary diligence.
4 programmes relevant to this answer
Antigua & Barbuda
Malta
St. Kitts & Nevis
Dominica
Related answers on this topic
Yes — most Caribbean CBI programmes permit post-grant family additions for parents and grandparents. Additional fees and supplementary diligence apply. Filing with full family unit at initial application is operationally smoother.
Generally no — most operative programmes recognise legal marriages or civil partnerships only. Unmarried-partner inclusion is rare and programme-specific.
Adopted children are typically treated as dependants under the same rules as biological children, subject to legal-adoption documentation. Most programmes treat adoption documentation under the dependency-evidence chain alongside birth-certificate documentation.
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