Grenada's citizenship-by-investment programme runs on a rule that shapes everything else: you deal with the government only through a licensed intermediary. Picking that intermediary well is the single highest-leverage decision in the whole process. This guide explains what a Grenada CBI law firm actually does, the one credential you must verify first, the seven things that separate a strong firm from an adequate one, and the exact steps to vet a firm before you commit.
Do you need a law firm, or just an authorised agent?
The labels overlap, and that causes confusion. “Law firm”, “adviser”, “consultant” and “agent” are all used to describe the people who help with a Grenada application, but only one status carries legal weight. Under Grenada's Citizenship by Investment Act (No. 15 of 2013), an application can only be submitted by a Local Agent authorised by the IMA. A firm can call itself anything; what matters is whether it holds that licence or works directly with a licensed Local Agent. A law firm earns its fee through legal due diligence, source-of-funds structuring and bar-admitted accountability — but the licence, not the label, is what lets your file reach the government.
What a Grenada CBI law firm actually does
A good firm runs the application end to end, not just the paperwork:
- Route advice — whether the National Transformation Fund donation or approved real estate better fits your budget, timeline and U.S. E-2 plans.
- Source-of-funds structuring — assembling lawful-source evidence that will survive enhanced due diligence.
- Document assembly and certification — forms, civil documents, translations, apostilles and the IMA's certification rules.
- Due-diligence preparation — pre-screening your profile and preparing you for the mandatory online interview.
- Escrow and government liaison — making sure funds move through the correct regulated channels and managing the IMA relationship.
- Post-approval support — passport issuance, renewals, adding dependants, and coordinating a U.S. E-2 application later.
IMA licensing: the one credential to verify first
Before anything else, confirm the firm can legally submit your application. The IMA authorises two kinds of representative, and the difference matters:
- Local Agents are based in Grenada and are the only parties that can submit a citizenship application to the IMA.
- Marketing Agents (often called International Marketing Agents) can promote the programme and refer applicants, but they must route every submission through a licensed Local Agent.
Some firms market themselves as Grenada specialists while quietly relying on a third-party Local Agent to file, which adds cost and reduces your control. Verify status in four steps:
- Check the official IMA agents directory at imagrenada.gd/approved-agents and confirm the firm is listed. As of June 2026 the IMA listed 20 authorised Local Agents, the only parties that can submit an application, alongside 42 International Marketing Agents who can promote the programme but cannot file. The list changes, and the IMA revoked several licences in 2025, so check it fresh rather than trusting an old copy.
- Note whether it is a Local Agent or a Marketing Agent. If it is marketing-only, ask who the Local Agent partner is and verify that entity separately.
- Cross-check the named lawyer's practising certificate through the General Legal Council. An IMA licence is not a substitute for a current bar admission.
- Check the Government Gazette and IMA notices for suspensions or revocations. This is live: the IMA revoked several agents' licences in 2025.
If a firm cannot point you to its active IMA listing, or gets evasive about its licence, treat that as a disqualifier.
Seven things to look for before you sign
Beyond the licence, these factors separate a strong firm from a merely adequate one. The best firms meet all seven and will document every claim:
- An active IMA Local Agent licence — or a clearly named, independently verified Local Agent partner.
- Named, bar-admitted lawyers handling your file, not anonymous “case managers”.
- A real track record of Grenada approvals, with references or anonymised case examples you can check against the published approval data.
- Transparent, itemised pricing — legal fees, government fees, due-diligence fees and any real-estate commission listed separately, with client funds held in escrow.
- Genuine U.S. E-2 experience. Grenada's E-2 treaty access is its main differentiator, and the planning around it is technical.
- Neutral route advice. A firm that pushes one specific real-estate project, especially one it profits from, has a conflict of interest.
- Responsiveness and genuine post-approval support, including renewals and adding dependants over time.
Red flags that should make you walk away
- A guarantee of approval. No firm controls the IMA's independent background checks; any guarantee before due diligence is dishonest.
- No preliminary compliance check. Reputable firms pre-screen you before submission. Skipping it gambles with your largely non-refundable government fees.
- Opaque or bundled fees. A single lump sum with no breakdown hides where your money goes.
- Pressure toward a particular property. Your lawyer should advise neutrally, not act as a sales agent.
- No IMA licence, or refusal to share the licence number. This is the most fundamental disqualifier.
- Promises of unusually fast approval. There is no official fast-track; well-prepared files typically take six to eight months.
What it costs, and which fees are fixed
The total has four parts: the qualifying investment, government fees, due-diligence fees and the firm's professional fee.
The investment starts at USD 235,000 for a National Transformation Fund donation, which covers a single applicant or a family of up to four (Grenada sets the same floor for one person as for a family of four). Each dependant beyond that adds USD 25,000, USD 50,000 or USD 75,000 depending on the category, because the IMA charges more for some relatives, such as an additional sibling. The real-estate route starts at USD 350,000 to buy an approved unit outright, or USD 270,000 for a share in a co-owned unit valued at a minimum of USD 540,000, and either way you hold the property for at least five years. The real-estate route also carries a separate government contribution. The full schedule is in the table below.
Here is the part that helps you compare firms: the government and due-diligence fees are standardised by the IMA and are the same whoever you hire. The published schedule puts due diligence at USD 5,000 per applicant aged 17 or over, with no charge for children under 17, though the IMA's own FAQ page lists USD 6,000, so confirm the current figure with your agent, and a further increase has been announced for 2026 but is not yet in force. The only component that genuinely varies is the firm's professional fee, so that, plus transparency, is what you are really comparing. Be wary of quotes far below market, which often signal hidden real-estate commissions or corners cut on compliance. For the current line-by-line breakdown see our Grenada cost and requirements guide, and always confirm against the official IMA schedule.
| Item | Amount (USD) | Set by | Fixed or variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Transformation Fund donation | 235,000 (main applicant + up to 3 dependants) | Government (S.R.O. 15/2024) | Fixed |
| Each additional dependant | 25,000 / 50,000 / 75,000 by category | Government (S.R.O. 15/2024) | Fixed |
| Real estate, unit bought outright | from 350,000, held 5 years | Government minimum (S.R.O. 15/2024) | Fixed |
| Real estate, share of a co-owned unit | from 270,000 (unit valued at 540,000+) | Government minimum (S.R.O. 15/2024) | Fixed |
| Government fee (real-estate route) | 50,000 for up to 4, then per extra dependant | Government (S.R.O. 15/2024) | Fixed |
| Application fee | 1,500 per person | IMA fee schedule | Fixed |
| Processing fee | 1,500 (17+) / 500 (under 17) | IMA fee schedule | Fixed |
| Interview fee | 1,000 per applicant 17+ | IMA fee schedule | Fixed |
| Due-diligence fee | 5,000 per applicant 17+ (nil under 17; IMA FAQ lists 6,000) | IMA fee schedule | Fixed |
| Professional / legal fee | typically 15,000 to 75,000 | The firm | Variable |
How to vet and engage a firm, step by step
- Build a shortlist from the official IMA agents directory rather than from ads.
- Confirm each firm's agent type, and the Local Agent partner if it is marketing-only.
- Verify the named lawyer's practising certificate and check for any licence revocations.
- Request a written, itemised fee schedule and confirmation that funds are held in escrow.
- Ask for a preliminary source-of-funds and eligibility review before you pay anything substantial.
- Compare two or three firms side by side on licence, E-2 expertise, fees and responsiveness before signing a retainer.
Can you apply without a law firm?
No. Grenada does not allow direct applications — the law requires every file to be submitted by a licensed Local Agent. That makes your choice of firm more consequential than in programmes that permit self-filing: the firm is not just an adviser, it is the only channel between you and the IMA. The upside is built-in accountability, because licensed agents are responsible for verifying that applications are complete and compliant before they reach the government.
How Movingto helps
Movingto is not a Grenada CBI agent. We match investors with vetted, IMA-licensed Local Agents and law firms, and every partner in our network clears three independent checks: an active IMA licence, a valid practising certificate through the General Legal Council, and review against current AML and FIU standards. A firm that fails any check is removed. We also keep the underlying data in the open — see our Grenada CBI approval statistics and the U.S. E-2 visa pathway guide — so you can decide on verified figures rather than marketing claims.