On the Oct. 7 broadcast of “Honestly Speaking,” host Claude Skelton Cline defended the $2,500 Belonger certificate fee and urged officials to explain the policy rather than reverse it. “You cannot be complaining about $2,500,” Cline said, calling the charge “minuscule” relative to the rights Belonger status confers. He added that government should “be honest with the people, and explain to the people what you’re doing.”
Cline said many fees have gone unchanged for decades and argued that Belonger status carries significant benefits, including relief from some immigration and labor controls and the ability to buy land and obtain trade licenses. “Just go pay the fee and be quiet,” he said.
Skelton Cline added that if corrections are needed, officials should say so plainly, but he discouraged what he called policy backtracking driven by criticism. Cline said clear communication on costs and eligibility would help residents plan and reduce confusion. check this story.
The remarks followed the Department of Immigration’s fee overhaul that took effect Oct. 1 under the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Regulations, 2025. The changes set a $250 application fee for Belonger status (previously none) and raise the Belonger certificate from $500 to $2,500. Residence applications now carry a $250 fee (previously none), and the Certificate of Residence rises from $300 to $1,500. Cards for Belonger or Residence holders increase from $10 to $50. The regulations also standardize special and remote clearance fees for private vessels and aircraft requesting off-hours or off-site service, ranging from $500 to $2,000, and raise several other permit and appeal fees.
Amid public pushback, Premier Natalio Wheatley said on Oct. 3 that the schedule is under review. “I’ve heard some of the cries as it pertains to the steepness of the increases,” he said. “I’m going to review that with members of the Cabinet and members of my caucus … and see if we will have to revise those fees in any particular way.” He emphasized the intent was to support immigration operations, not to deter applicants: “We’ll be able to communicate that to the public,” he said, noting “there is a possibility that it could be a reduction.”
Across other British Overseas Territories, Turks and Caicos charges $1,500 for Islander Status via marriage and $5,000 via BOTC/British citizenship routes; Bermuda’s closest analogue—the Permanent Resident’s Certificate—costs $50,000; in the Cayman Islands, the Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence)—a residency route, not Caymanian status—carries a CI$5,000 grant fee after approval; and Anguilla lists an EC$200 processing fee for Belonger applications.
