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By: Christian Henrik Nesheim   President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has dismissed calls from Green Party MEP Sven Giegold this week to launch the same infringement procedures against golden visa jurisdictions Spain, Portugal, Greece, and others as it recently did against Malta and Cyprus over their citizenship-by-investment programs.   Giegold’s arguments adhered to the by-now-familiar refrain of IM-antagonists: “Golden visas open the door for criminals. They can easily launder their dirty money in the EU and avoid taxes,” Giegold said this week, reports The Express.     The MEP, a long-time, vocal opponent of investment migration, who is a co-founder...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2021

By Kenneth Camilleri The Malta Residency Visa Agency (MRVA) today announced changes to the Malta Residency and Visa  Programme (MRVP), paving the way for a new permanent residency programme to be introduced.   Subject to Parliamentary approval next week, the MRVP will be replaced with a new programme called Malta Permanent Residence Programme and it will be governed by a new agency - Residency Malta Agency.   The current MRVP will continue to run until the end of March, following which all new applications will fall under the new regulations.   The launch of the new programme will not affect existing applications submitted...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By Sugee Portugal    The Council of Ministers approved the diploma that puts an end to gold visas in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, as well as the entire coast of the country. The instrument only remains for the interior and autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores. The new regime will be gradual and it will not take effect before June 2021 at least.   As we all know there is a lot of uncertainty in the mind of investors for Golden Visa Portugal about the changes proposed in the budget of Feb 2020 by the Portuguese...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By Joanna Zhang Professional Wealth Management (PWM), a publication from the Financial Times, has released its latest CBI Index assessing the CBI programs of 14 countries through nine indicators including freedom of movement, due diligence, minimum investment, timeline, and so on. Grenada CBI ranked in the top three in total and became one of the most popular CBI programs. Why you should obtain Grenadian citizenship: 1) Fast relocation route to the US As the only Caribbean country to hold the coveted E-2 visa treaty with the US, Grenada citizens can apply for a non-immigrant visa to the US, meaning they can then both...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By Alex Baker of Griffin Trust AG, Liechtenstein and Andrew Baker of Griffin Corporate Services Ltd, Abu Dhabi           This short article introduces the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) and highlights a perceived advantage offered by an ADGM foundation compared to an ADGM trust in relation to asset protection.   Introduction to the Abu Dhabi Global Market The ADGM is one of the principal free zone jurisdictions in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”). It offers an attractive range of vehicles that can be used by individuals for asset protection and/or succession planning purposes and by businesses involved...

CORPORATE & FIDUCIARY EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By Mr. Patrice Tze Sek Sum, CPA (US), MIntTax, TEP   1. Overview   Over the past few years, Mauritius has undergone significant transformation in order to maintain itself as a serious jurisdiction of substance. While Mauritius remains the de facto hub to Africa due to its political stability, independent judiciary and strong institutional framework, and absence of foreign currency exchange control, it has had its fair share of challenges over the past year. Mauritius has enhanced its AML/CFT laws accordingly and restructured some of its tax regimes which were deemed harmful from the perspective of the OECD especially in regard to some ring-fencing...

CORPORATE & FIDUCIARY EXPERT INSIGHTS 2021

By CS Global Partners   According to Les Khan, CEO of St Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Unit, the dual-island nation's CBI Programme has expressed an increase in interest from African businesspeople, particularly from Nigeria and South Africa. One of the main motivators in acquiring a second citizenship stem from the visa restrictions many Africans face when attempting to conduct business abroad. St Kitts and Nevis boast one of the strongest passports within the region and 25th globally, surpassing many larger and more developed nations.   Established in 1984, St Kitts and Nevis' CBI Programme is the oldest within the investment immigration industry and is internationally recognised as a Platinum Standard...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020

By Enry Cooke   Foreigners keen to invest up to $2.3 billion in New Zealand are unable to get visas because of Covid-19 restrictions, a situation National says is holding back “tens of thousands” of jobs.   A huge amount of cash is promised by applicants for the investor-class visa, which allows foreigners to gain residence in New Zealand if they promise to invest a certain amount of money into the economy.   A similar visa was famously used by US tech billionaire Peter Thiel to gain residency in the country, which he then used to gain citizenship.   Immigration...

IMMIGRATION BY INVESTMENT NEWS 2020