More Jamaicans in the diaspora are making their connection to the island official.
Applications for Jamaican citizenship have surged in the United States, driven in large part by people born overseas who are claiming citizenship by descent.
Figures from the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC, show that citizenship applications increased by 25 per cent in 2025, from 2,214 to 2,899. Of those, 2,273 were applications for citizenship by descent. The Consulate General in Miami also received 921 citizenship applications during the 2025-2026 period, up from 688 the previous year.
The growing demand was underscored in April when the Jamaican Embassy in Washington hosted its inaugural citizenship ceremony, recognising 27 people who had acquired or affirmed Jamaican citizenship.
For Jamaican-American Ashley Moncrieffe, who has spent several years encouraging other members of the diaspora to claim citizenship by descent, the increase is not surprising.
Why more diasporans are claiming citizenship
Moncrieffe says she has seen the shift firsthand.
“I definitely have noticed more people not only inquiring about the process but also applying, and more people publicly sharing their experiences navigating it on social media,” she told Jamaicans.com. “I’ve also seen more third-generation Jamaicans having an interest, too.”
She believes two things in particular are driving the increased interest.
“I think it’s a combination of people seeking a deep sense of belonging to their heritage, as well as the current American political and immigration climate,” she said.
The growing interest among second- and third-generation Jamaicans is particularly significant. For many, the cultural connection to Jamaica already exists through their families, communities, food, music and regular travel to the island. Citizenship provides a way to formalise it.
“Tangible proof of what you’ve always known”
Moncrieffe understands that distinction personally.
She is the only member of her immediate family who was born outside Jamaica. In 2017, she decided to claim Jamaican citizenship by descent.
“I’m a second-generation Jamaican, so I’m the only one in my immediate family born abroad,” she explained when Jamaicans.com caught up with her at the 2026 Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay. “Because of that dynamic, you know, I wanted to become a Jamaican citizen.”
She completed the process in Jamaica and said her citizenship certificate was ready the following week.
For Moncrieffe, citizenship did not suddenly make her Jamaican. Instead, it gave legal recognition to an identity she had always possessed.
“The legality and tangible proof of what you’ve always known,” she said. “You are a Jamaican born abroad. Now you have legitimate documents to prove your status and heritage to use for your advantage.”
According to the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), people born outside Jamaica may qualify for citizenship by descent where a parent was a Jamaican citizen by birth, descent or registration by virtue of marriage to a Jamaican at the time of their birth.
Applicants must provide documents establishing their identity and relationship to their Jamaican parent, including birth records and other supporting documents depending on their circumstances.
Taking the connection beyond a passport
For Moncrieffe, citizenship and a Jamaican passport were only the beginning. She has since obtained her TRN and, when Jamaicans.com caught up with her at the NIRA booth during the recent Jamaica Diaspora Conference, she was collecting her new National Identification Card. There we also met Fort Lauderdale resident Michelle Williamson, who had just received the updated Jamaican birth certificate she needed to apply for a new passport.
In speaking with Nicole White, Marketing and Planning Manager at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), formerly the Registrar General’s Department, she told Jamaicans.com that there had been strong demand from diaspora attendees for birth certificates, National ID enrolment and genealogical research. White said the National ID can be particularly useful for diasporans who regularly visit or conduct transactions in Jamaica, making it easier to do business on the island.
But Moncrieffe believes deepening the connection should go beyond acquiring documents. She encourages new citizens to “truly seek out Jamaica in totality”, whether by learning more about the country, supporting Jamaican businesses and organisations, contributing their skills and resources, or getting involved in causes that matter to them.
“I believe if some of those steps were taken, they’ll ultimately find their tribe,” she said.
Where applicants run into trouble
According to PICA, applicants for citizenship by descent must submit:
- The applicants birth certificate
- Jamaican parent’s birth certificate(s) or citizenship certificate
- Certified passport photographs
- Valid identification
- Supporting documents such as marriage certificates, guardianship papers or change-of-name documents where applicable.
On paper, the process is relatively straightforward. In practice, Moncrieffe says the biggest hurdle is getting the application to the point where it is compliant.
“The biggest barrier is the gathering of documents,” she said.
Many applicants have a Jamaican parent or grandparent who has died and don’t realise they can still request that person’s birth certificate. Others discover spelling errors or inconsistencies across family records that delay their applications. She also believes many people mistakenly assume citizenship by descent involves interviews, tests or swearing-in ceremonies, when “there is no test and no swearing-in.”
It was questions and challenges like these that led Moncrieffe to begin sharing her own citizenship experience online and, in 2021, establish her Jamaican Citizenship by Descent programme. Through a self-funded annual grant, she covers the application fee for a selected applicant and provides one-on-one guidance through the process. By the end of 2026, the programme will have directly assisted six people, while her how-to content has reached thousands more.
Moncrieffe also believes the process could be even smoother through better digital integration between PICA and NIRA, a more robust application tracking system and greater consular outreach to diaspora communities, making it easier for future generations to claim the citizenship they’re already entitled to.
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A deeper connection to Jamaica
“Through my years of active engagement with various diaspora groups, stakeholders, and my own programme, I consistently see that people have an emotional connection with Jamaica,” Moncrieffe said.
The surge in citizenship applications is therefore a positive development, but the greater opportunity lies in what comes next. As Jamaica works to strengthen its economy and create greater opportunities at home, the diaspora can contribute far more than serving as promoters of Brand Jamaica. Its skills, knowledge, networks and resources can play a meaningful role in the country’s development and help build a Jamaica where more people can prosper and those abroad can confidently return home.
“The truth is, if we do not nurture and sustain a positive, accessible connection for our people and future generations, ‘Brand Jamaica’ as we know it will suffer,” Moncrieffe said.
Ultimately, the opportunity is to turn that cultural pride into what Moncrieffe describes as “lifelong national involvement.”
