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Let's say an U.S. citizen/mainlander wanted to relocate to -- or live part-time in the Caribbean.
But for whatever reason one of the U.S. Virgin Islands wouldn't be their first choice.
Would the ease of U.S. to U.S. travel/documentation requirements, etc make it so much easier that it's worth it to just pick a U.S. Virgin Island -- vs -- pick the island the person might prefer.
Obviously the islands are NOT the same. Some are better for some things -- transportation, utilities, amenities, etc, than others.
I'm wondering for example.....if St. Lucia would be their preference.....is it just so much easier to move to St. Croix, St. John or St. Thomas....that it's just best to do that. Is the difference between St. Croix vs , St. Lucia, or The Bahamas, or Martinique...worth the added issues to move there. (vs almost no issues with the U.S. VIs)
Oh....can you comment on state of the art healthcare access, taxes, or frustrations a given island might present.
I know The Bahamas has been popular with certain Americans.
First you need to see what their immigration requirements are.
Jamaica, for example, will give you 90 days when you land. You can’t work, but you can extend it another 90 days as long as you can proof you have the financial ability to support yourself.
Many people come and spend up to 6 months, but once your 6 months is up you have to go. You can come back in a few months and do it again. You could also apply for status of you qualify. It’s not easy to become a resident of another country, unless you’re married to a citizen, and even then it takes time, money, patience and paperwork.
Healthcare is a concern, but there’s plenty of private doctors and hospitals that offer great care. You’ll want to carry an expat insurance policy or have enough cash/credit to pay for the care and a medi-vac flight if needed.
Do your due diligence no matter which island you’re looking at
Yes, all those considerations are why I asked the question.
What is there that might be so great on St. Lucia or St. Barts or Martinique or Guadelupe or even The Bahamas that it's worth the visitor visa, insurance, exchange rates, and other issues -- that wouldn't even BE issues if a person went to the U.S.V.I.?
Personally, NOT being a super devotee of Caribbean travel -- as far is I'm concerned....St. Barts. St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Martinque -- they're all the same to me.
Obviously, those locations are not the same (culturally it's clear that various French/Dutch/Portugese influences leave different and various marks and histories, even so language and communications likely wouldn't be an issue) -- but Caribbean is Caribbean to me. Warm weather beaches....some islands have mountains others not so much, some are known for their sandy beaches, others craggy beaches. For me it's six on one hand, half-a-dozen on the other. Unless someone has strong sentiment otherwise.
For example, if someone were to post and say -- for example St. Lucia or St. Barts or Aruba -- is SOOOO much better than St. Croix and say WHY that's so -- well then it might be worth the additional visa/healthcare access/currency/documentation issues to consider one of those islands.
But if someone were to say St. Lucia isn't that much different from St. John -- well then I might conclude it's not worth the extra rigamarole. If it's a case of St. John or St Lucia what's the difference...well, the USVI would win by default.
If you’re okay with the mainland, Costa Rica has relatively modest requirements for a retiree visa, 70%+ of their doctors are US-trained and private health insurance runs about 250 USD a month. And even though they put a lot of tariffs on some imported goods, cost of living is generally cheaper than Caribbean islands you’d actually want to live on. Combine with a reputation for being reasonably safe and it’s no surprise there’s a big US expat community down there. Panama offers some similar advantages for retirement.
Puerto Rico would be my first choice of anywhere in the Caribbean, because Medicare and my secondary health insurance from Aetna would cover me. That is a big deal. I speak fluent Spanish, so that is also a plus for living in PR. Easy and frequent flight connections to the mainland US, and reasonable cost to own or rent a small house or condo outside of the major cities would be another plus.
I would have little interest in living on one of the smaller islands in the Caribbean - simply too small for me.
I’ve visited the islands on a cruise years ago, specifically the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Martin, and St. John. I enjoyed St. Martin the most possibly due to the French and Dutch culture. On St. John we spent a half day at Trunk Bay which was amazing. Nearly missed the ferry back to St. Thomas.
Seems like a wonderful place to winter. I would consider it if I knew someone who could act as a guide, of sorts. Also, it might be challenging to fly out quickly if you needed to.
For me, just the factor of my U.S. insurances being honored in P.R. and the USVI is enough of a factor to pick one of those over any other Caribbean options.
The other options just aren't that different or that great to choose them over the ease of PR or USVI.
Hope to get more insights on the various Caribbean islands -- and throw in Bermuda and the Bahamas. (which of course are on the Atlantic side)
There are some threads here on the "U.S. Territories" forum about moving to USVI, just FYI. Speaking personally, if I wanted to live on an island full time I'd choose Hawaii. It has much less risk from tropical storms and of course is a straightforward move for a U.S. citizen.
Living for a few months in the winter is completely different. You can avoid the hurricane season, and depending on your destination you may not need a visa of any sort. Cayman Islands, for example, allows U.S. citizens to stay for up to six months with only a passport. Document requirements and stay limits vary widely, though.
For me, just the factor of my U.S. insurances being honored in P.R. and the USVI is enough of a factor to pick one of those over any other Caribbean options.
The other options just aren't that different or that great to choose them over the ease of PR or USVI.
Hope to get more insights on the various Caribbean islands -- and throw in Bermuda and the Bahamas. (which of course are on the Atlantic side)
Thanks!
Well, I wouldn't focus so much on your current insurance being honored but rather the quality of medical treatment available on PR/VI or your coverage for medivac to the US mainland for a major trauma/illness.
I have no idea if there are better medical facilities located elsewhere, say Panama City or Grand Cayman, or not. I know there are respectable medical schools in the Carribean, such as in Grenada, perhaps elsewhere? But would that have any bearing on local healthcare?
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