Out of many, One people - Jamaica welcomes 40 new citizens

Of the 30 newly sworn-in citizens, 21 were granted citizenship on the basis of naturalisation, four by descent, and one registered as a minor.

• The ceremony was hosted by PICA on Wednesday, July 22, at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston/St Andrew.
• The cohort included people from countries such as Myanmar, Russia, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Italy, Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom, according to event reports.
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Dr. Horace Chang delivered the keynote address, welcoming the new citizens into the Jamaican family.
• Williams told the group their citizenship certificates were 'not just a piece of paper' but an entry into a Jamaican, Caribbean, and global family.

• Under Jamaican law, citizenship may be obtained through descent, marriage, naturalisation, Commonwealth registration, or registration as a minor.

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The ceremony underscores a steady, institutionalised flow of new citizens into Jamaica at a moment of heightened regional interest in Caribbean nationality. Applications for Jamaican citizenship from the United States surged 25%  in 2025 — rising to 2,899 from 2,214 in 2024 — according to data from the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC, signalling that demand for Jamaican nationality is growing well beyond its diaspora roots. 

Marriage-based applications in the US jumped 76% in the same period. As third-country deportation agreements between Jamaica and the United States introduce new categories of foreign nationals arriving on the island, the question of who qualifies to remain — and on what terms — is becoming a live policy issue for PICA and the Ministry of National Security.

What to watch: • Whether PICA expands or increases the frequency of naturalisation ceremonies to manage rising application volumes. • The terms and implementation of Jamaica's third-country national agreement with the United States, particularly which English-speaking nationals may seek authorisation to remain. • Processing time improvements for marriage-based citizenship applications, which currently take up to four years.

"Applications for Jamaican citizenship through the United States climbed 25 per cent in 2025, rising to 2,899 from 2,214 in 2024, with marriage-based applications jumping 76 per cent."

— Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC, as reported by the Jamaica Gleaner

A wide range of comments on social media - ranging from positive to negative - though largely positive.

• As Jamaicans we are everywhere legal and illegal normally we go to make better for ourselves and family 🙌🏽so if other nationalities wishes to come here for similar let’s hope that’s the case … to enhance our country and assist our people then they are most welcome 🙏 Don’t see the need for any form of heckling 🤫🧐 truth is they will come here and make a better life for they and their love one way better than a lot of us here … mek this mek sense 🙃🙃🤪 - Holly Berry on Facebook
• Wander if any one want mi fi give them citizenship in exchange - Vin Vin on Facebook
• Whitening out happening in Jamaica, as was done in Argentina - Anthony Brim on Facebook
• I ran away they run in - Lorene Rhoden Benjamin on  Facebook
• If we as Jamaicans can get citizenship in other countries, why cant they get it in ours. I am happy that they are comfortable to call Jamaica home. -­ Annialee Knight on Facebook
• Congratulations on being a citizen of one of the greatest country in the world - Shae Gordon on Facebook

Government — citizenship as national strength: Chang framed the 30 new citizens as living proof of Jamaica's motto, 'Out of Many, One People', and urged them to participate actively in democracy, uphold the rule of law, and care for their communities — treating citizenship as both privilege and civic duty.

New citizens — gratitude and commitment: Tamargo's address reflected a shared sense of arrival and responsibility, pledging to respect Jamaican law and values and contribute positively — a sentiment that mirrors the tone of earlier cohorts granted citizenship at previous PICA ceremonies.

Institutional — citizenship as family membership, not paperwork: Williams consistently reframed the citizenship certificate away from bureaucratic formality, positioning it as entry into an interconnected Jamaican, Caribbean, and global family — a framing that speaks directly to Jamaica's large and influential diaspora.

"The certificates that will be issued today, it's not just a piece of paper. It's really joining a family. It's really joining a Jamaican family – Caribbean family and, indeed, a global family, and we want you to enjoy all of what we have and to contribute to what we have."

— Garth Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), via Jamaica Information Service