These families are looking to access premium international education opportunities for their children through investment migration. The surge in demand and competition for places at leading universities post-Covid is increasing interest in investment programmes that come with better global mobility opportunities and access to leading educational institutions.

Saint Lucia offers one of the leading citizenship by investment programmes in the world and African investors are increasingly looking to this Caribbean nation as it provides a hassle-free route to second citizenship.

Africans looking to study abroad are compelled to do so as they are aware that there are limited opportunities for growth in their home countries.

While Africa is home to some leading and globally competitive tertiary institutions – these universities often do not have the capacity to accommodate all of a certain country's tertiary students.

For example, South Africa only has 26 universities.  Canada on the other hand has more than 1500 types of universities and colleges that offer over 10 000 programmes for students to choose from. The country also offers a wide variety of vocational training schools that are closely aligned with industry. Information Technology, Finance and Engineering are among those that are the most in demand in the country

The United States has some 5300 universities and colleges in comparison. World Population Review's Most Educated Countries 2022 shows that the USA sits comfortably in the top 10 most educated countries. Its top private schools and Ivy League universities are extremely competitive, now seeing an increase of around 7% in applications since pre-Covid times. For example, Harvard's 2022 acceptance rate is only 4.6%, which translates to 42,749 applicants, of which only 1,962 students were accepted.

Saint Lucia is also home to top universities including the American International Medical University, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, International American University College of Medicine and the Spartan Health Sciences University.

Saint Lucia offers families a simple path to access the 'best of the best' global education facilities

One of the many advantages of Saint Lucia's citizenship by investment is its ability to offer enhanced access to premium education. Providing our children with the opportunity to attend the 'best of the best' international universities is one of the most valuable investments any parent can make.

We are all experiencing increasingly volatile times and ensuring the best possible education for their children has become a key motivation for intelligent investors around the world, especially in Africa.

The Caribbean nation is located quite close to the United States - an average nonstop flight from the United States to Saint Lucia takes about eight hours. The most popular route is New York to the country's capital Castries, with an average flight time of just over four hours.

Launched in 2016, St Lucia has the newest citizenship by investment programme in the Caribbean. Inheriting decades of experience from its island neighbours, Saint Lucia's programme is an amalgamation of practices from its surrounding islands and provides a wide range of benefits for investors.

Not only can African families access quality education institutions through better global mobility, but they can also have citizenship for life with the right to live and work in the country if they choose to.

Investment options a straightforward – a minimum investment of US$100 000.00 to the National Economic Fund (NEF), which was established to receive qualifying investments to fund government-sponsored projects on the island, enables applicants to become citizens of the nation.

Applicants can also obtain citizenship by purchasing a government-approved property valued at a minimum of US$300,000. Property must be owned and maintained for a minimum of five years after citizenship has been granted.

With a straightforward seven-step application process and no residency requirement, a Saint Lucia investment is a great way for intelligent investor to open themselves up to the global playing field and give their children a competitive edge by creating a pathway to some of the best educational facilities around the world.

Saint Lucia's programme is also highly rated on the global stage – having been recognised as one of the best CBI offerings compared with Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Cambodia, Dominica, Egypt, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, Montenegro, St Kitts and Nevis, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

This is according to the annual CBI Index - an in-depth report examining and evaluating citizenship by investment schemes around the world.

The country scored 87% overall. Saint Lucia continues to offer a popular programme with stability,  no caps on the number of applications or specific calls to end the programme, and adaptability both in respect of changes to keep the programme functioning during Covid-19.

With a population of over 184 000, Saint Lucia is the region's most populous CBI nation with very well-developed hospitality and financial sectors.

Investors can attain citizenship in less than six months if the application process goes smoothly and they pass all due diligence checks. These ensure that only reputable investors of good-standing are allowed to become citizens.