Image source: Adobe Stock

 

The United States allows its citizens to hold dual citizenship, and many pursue it for benefits such as increased global mobility, business opportunities, and personal security.

Immigrant Invest, a government-recognised and licensed agent, specialises in assisting high-net-worth individuals in securing passports and residency by investment. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of second citizenship and how to obtain it with Albert Ioffe, Legal and Compliance Officer at the said company.

Consider obtaining second citizenship? Immigrant Invest can help

At Immigrant Invest, we help high-net-worth individuals get a passport and residency by investment. Under most citizenship-by-investment programs, individual applications are not permitted: investors must apply through an agent, and Immigrant Invest is a reputable one. We are a government-recognised company authorised to act as an agent for CBI programs. 

We hold licences for all five Caribbean CBI programs — Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, and Grenada. Additionally, Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for Malta citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment.

Clients trust us because we possess rich expertise. With the skilled legal professionals on our team, we ensure that 99% of investors obtain their second citizenship.

Citizenship by investment programs for US citizens: how to choose the right one

Let’s dwell on the Caribbean CBI programs’ terms and procedures and compare them with the investment routes to obtain a passport in the EU.

Caribbean citizenship by investment. These programs are time-tested and often considered a first choice for investors willing to obtain a second passport. The first country to ever grant citizenship by investment was St Kitts and Nevis, its CBI history starting in 1984.

The Caribbean CBI programs aligned their minimum investment thresholds to $200,000 instead of $100,000 by the end of June 2024 to enhance their integrity and value. 

Investment options in the Caribbean vary, but the most popular ones include a donation that implies no return and real estate investment. Other options are purchase of bonds, a business investment or a donation to a particular institution — the University of West Indies in Antigua and Barbuda.

As for the terms of obtaining citizenship, it is usually within the period of 6—8 months, and there is no need to live in the country of choice. It is significantly faster than obtaining citizenship by naturalisation in any other country, which takes years. 

Apart from that, benefits of Caribbean CBI include:

• expanded global mobility, an illustrative example being citizens of St Kitts and Nevis who travel visa-free to more than 150 countries;
• appealing tax regimes — mostly, Caribbean countries do not tax global income, dividends, inheritance, capital gains or wages;
• all the Caribbean countries with CBI programs do not require to renounce first passports.

Here – https://immigrantinvest.com/experts/albert-ioffe/

Malta citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment is also an option for US investors. The minimum investment required is €690,000. 

The conditions include:

1. A contribution of at least €600,000 to the National Development and Social Fund.
2. A charitable donation of €10,000.
3. Renting real estate for five years at €16,000 annually or purchasing property worth €700,000.

Citizenship for exceptional services is acquired by naturalisation. Initially, investors obtain Malta residency and must maintain this status for one or three years before applying for a passport, as outlined by the Maltese Citizenship Act. Foreign applicants must pass a stringent Due Diligence check and meet all legal conditions to become Maltese citizens.

Portugal is another popular EU country to obtain citizenship through an investment route. It becomes possible after getting a Golden Visa. 

Investors and their families can apply for permanent residence or citizenship after maintaining Portuguese residency for five years without permanent living in Portugal. Golden Visa holders need to spend only seven days a year in the country to keep their residency status.

Investors in Portugal can choose from the following options:

• supporting arts and cultural heritage — €250,000+;
• purchasing investment fund units, investing in business or Financing research activities — €500,000+;
• opening a company and creating at least 10 jobs.

In comparison with Malta, Portugal requires less investment but does require keeping residency for 5 years rather than 1 or 3 years in Malta.

Considerations in obtaining second citizenship: what is Due Diligence?

The procedure of becoming a citizen for investors includes strict checks by the government entity responsible. Immigrant Invest has its own compliance officers who conduct a thorough Due Diligence check before an investor applies for a passport.

The check helps to reduce the risk of denial in second citizenship to 1%. If there are any potential issues, the check reveals them, and our lawyers are to find the best possible solution to every client’s situation.

How can a US citizen contact Immigrant Invest?

Choose a citizenship program that seems to suit your needs and schedule a personal meeting with our lawyers online or at the office. Immigrant Invest experts will carefully study your case and answer all questions you might have about CBI programs, Due Diligence, terms and conditions of obtaining second citizenship, and investment options available.