Industry News

Portugal’s nationality reform is moving toward a model of longer qualifying residence, stronger integration testing, and stricter suitability filters, but the Constitutional Court’s preventive review means the final version is still being reworked in Parliament.

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated Top 25 Awards issue, which features the leaders shaping the future of global investment immigration. In this edition, we proudly recognize outstanding achievers in two categories: 1. 

Members of Uglobal.com can now vote for the leading Top 25 agencies, attorneys, and companies in the global investment immigration industry for our annual Top 25 issue of Uglobal Immigration Magazine! This is an opportunity

It was widely anticipated that Portugal’s Constitutional Court would rule on the government’s proposed amendments to immigration laws unconstitutional, given their “aggressiveness.” The proposed measures involved delaying family reunification for two years after the main

Portugal’s so-called Golden Visa program, once hailed as one of the easiest routes to EU residency and citizenship, is facing changes: • In June 2025, the government proposed extending the residency requirement for naturalization from

Five Eastern Caribbean countries—Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Saint Lucia—have unveiled a draft agreement, dated July 1, 2025, proposing major reforms to their Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs. Key features

Uglobal Immigration Magazine has officially opened nominations for its highly anticipated Top 25 Awards. This is an opportunity for professionals in the investment immigration industry worldwide to recognize the leaders shaping its future. The nomination

The Maldives, a tropical island nation in the Indian Ocean, has formally set in motion its first residence-by-investment program, tying long-term residency rights to qualifying real estate investments as it seeks to pivot from a

Malta’s citizenship-by-investment program (known as the “golden passport”) has been terminated after the EU Court of Justice ruled in April 2025 that selling EU citizenship violates EU principles. All previously granted citizenships remain valid, but

Argentina is close to launching what would be Latin America’s only viable citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program. While Panama offers residency through investment and other small Caribbean countries have CBI programs, no major country in the region

By Marie Ekberg Padilla  The Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, is gearing up to celebrate its citizenship-by-investment program’s 35th anniversary in September. Despite its small size, the islands launched the world’s first economic

By Uglobal Staff The United Kingdom has launched two separate residency programs for Ukrainians that would allow thousands of people fleeing the Russian invasion to stay in the country for up to three years, with the right to work

The importance of diversification It is widely considered the cardinal rule of investing—diversification. The idea is closely associated with the idiom, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” When it comes to investing, investment

The potential U.S. Gold Card program would offer wealthy foreigners a pathway to live and work in the country and eventually apply for citizenship for a $5 million fee.

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated Top 25 Awards issue, which features the leaders shaping the future of global investment immigration.

ActiveAvenues Founded in 2015, ActiveAvenues is a leading advisory firm for residency and citizenship by investment programs. A pioneer in the EB-5 Visa and the Portugal Golden Visa in India, the firm has since expanded

Upon the announcement of the Hungarian Guest Investor Visa program in July 2024, investors from third-country nations are waiting for the opportunity to apply for a 20-year residence permit in Hungary. While the program is

Malaysia’s latest immigration programs reflect a commitment to attracting top international talent, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), and businesses. The revamping of Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) tiers, the Premium Visa Program (PVIP) for active investors and

For years, Portugal’s Golden Visa program has been popular for global investors seeking a residency permit with a strategic foothold in Europe. While recent policy updates have shifted the landscape, these changes aren’t a sign

It has been approximately 16 years since the investment immigration industry came into greater focus. Over the last decade, we have seen an influx of new programs, new country participation, and interest from high-net-worth individuals

Since 2018, Canada made the Start-up Visa (SUV) program permanent, allowing startups with one to five business partners to get Permanent Residence in Canada if they launch a qualified startup, have enough funds, and have

Legal changes that occurred at the end of 2024 significantly impacted the year 2024, notably the amendment to Portugal’s Golden Visa regime and the replacement of the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF, or Foreigners

New Zealand recently increased visa fees to make its immigration system more financially sustainable. The goal is for users to cover more costs instead of relying on taxpayer funding. Rising expenses, driven by higher visa

Spain’s Golden Visa program has attracted thousands of investors worldwide since its inception in 2013. The program offers non-EU nationals the right to apply for legal residence by purchasing real estate in Spain for at

By Uglobal Staff South Korea‘s self-governing province of Jeju has decided to triple the minimum investment requirement for foreigners buying real estate. According to the proposed amendment to the real-estate investment immigration visa policy, foreign

APS Global Partners Inc. Canada Established in 2017, APS Global Partners Inc. is a business advisory company for innovative entrepreneurs worldwide who are willing to start their business in Canada through the Start-Up Visa Program.

These are the 2024 Top 25 Migration Attorneys winners.  Stacey Ann Aberdeen Aberdeen Law St Kitts & Nevis Stacey Ann Aberdeen-Alleyne is an attorney, public notary, and the founder of Aberdeen Law, where she manages

Nigerian Jenkins Alumona shares with Uglobal his investment migration journey to Canada.

By James Hall  New Zealand has long been a haven for investors seeking stability, growth, and a high quality of life. The landscape evolved with the introduction of the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa in September

By Kenneth Camilleri  The Malta Startup Residence Programme (MSRP) is part of the country’s government initiative “Start in Malta” and operates in collaboration with Malta Enterprise and the Residency Malta Agency.  The MSRP is a residency by

By Julien Tétrault  Investors can obtain Canadian permanent residence by investment (RBI) in 18 months, thanks to the brand-new fast track system, which applies to only some startup visa program applicants.  Theoretically, a foreign high-net-worth

The Indonesian government has granted the golden visa to 52 applicants since the project was announced.

By Moustafa Daly Greece’s national economy minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, said that raising the minimum investment of the Greek golden visa might be imminent. Speaking at a conference last week, Hatzidakis did not specify the areas where the

By Moustafa Daly In a recent circular to industry professionals, the Saint Lucia citizenship by investment (CBI) unit announced introducing the new “Infrastructure Option,” available to investors starting February 5, 2024. The new option, which requires a

France has tightened language requirements for residency applicants, but is relaxing policy for understaffed occupations.

By Moustafa Daly Despite being among the most coveted citizenships in the world, thousands of United States citizens renounce their nationality every year. In the decade ending in 2020, nearly 37,000 citizens gave up their U.S. passports

The UAE golden visa by real estate will reportedly no longer require a 50% down payment.

By Moustafa Daly The Australian government announced that it has scrapped its residency by investment (RBI) program. The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) was a popular route for foreigners to obtain residency in Australia in exchange for investments

By Moustafa Daly  The year 2023 brought many changes for the citizenship by investment (CBI) industry in the Caribbean, as some programs struggled while others thrived. Amid increased scrutiny from the U.S. and European Union (EU), the

By Moustafa Daly After officially joining the European Union (EU) in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania are finally gearing up to partially join the Schengen Area starting March 31, 2024. From that date on, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals

By Philippe May  Latvia’s Residency by Investment (RBI) program is an affordable alternative and could become a new popular option to the renowned Portuguese golden visa.  The visa program has significantly made this small Baltic

By Preeya Malik  In recent years, many high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) have sought second passports and residencies outside of their home countries. Different motives drive these affluent individuals to pursue second citizenship.  GLOBAL MOBILITY AND SECURITY

By Moustafa Daly Visa-free travel is considered a sought-after luxury in the modern era. Countries with powerful passports with visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to most countries give their citizens distinct advantages when traveling abroad for

By Eleni Drakou  Cyprus real estate market is recording a significant increase in the number of sales of immovable properties and property prices.  In October 2023, the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) reported a continued increase

By Emilio Cornejo  Over the last two decades, Panama has gained a strong reputation as a top relocation destination for people worldwide. Whether they are a retiree, an executive from a multinational corporation, or a

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Agency CEOs for 2023. To be eligible, distinguished global migration agency CEOs needed to represent clients on outbound investments and migration solutions to

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 10 Global Immigration Companies for 2023. To be eligible, distinguished companies needed to assist clients with inbound investment for migration purposes and market global CBI and

By Daniel Altneu  The Cayman Islands is an English-speaking British Overseas Territory, an hour’s flight from Miami to the western Caribbean Sea.  Every year, more individuals from different jurisdictions take advantage of the territory’s unique tax neutrality,

By Christopher Willis The residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) programs resemble Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Countries give birth to new programs, and these evolve to thrive or flounder and die. The competitive field

By Dragana Andreyev  When considering Plan B choices, high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) often flock to the familiar shores of Europe or the Caribbean, mainly due to their well-publicized programs and renowned destinations.   However, there’s a

By Alexandre Rangel  Moving to another country is one of the most important decisions anyone can make. Knowing the different immigration alternatives is crucial to selecting the right destination to live and invest in.  As

By Afshin Sarhangpour  For entrepreneurs seeking a new beginning in North America through investment, the dilemma of “the U.S. or Canada?” is a critical decision point. This article dissects the permanent residence by investment (RBI)

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Attorneys for 2023. To be eligible, distinguished attorneys needed to be primarily active in the investment migration space and experienced in filing a

By Alessia Ajelli  Sometimes called “La Dolce Visa” or “Italian Golden Visa,” Italy’s Investor Visa Program has experienced several changes and enhancements during the last few years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.  Though less expensive

By Moustafa Daly Saudi Arabia, the Middle East’s largest economy, just launched five new visas catering to investors, entrepreneurs, and skilled migrants. Announced by the kingdom’s Premium Residency Center, the new visas will allow foreigners

By Moustafa Daly Denmark just announced that it is updating its Positive List for Skilled Work, a list of fields in which foreigners can easily access Danish residency. In keeping with the global trend of

By Moustafa Daly South Korea, the fourth largest Asian economy, launched a digital nomad visa valid for one renewable, officially called Workcation Visa. The visa is available to investors starting Jan. 1, 2024, and is

By Moustafa Daly In a positive development for golden visa investors, Portugal just amended its citizenship law to shorten the process and time needed to apply for Portuguese nationality, among other measures.  Approved by the Parliament on

By Aileen Zhao Portugal’s Golden Visa program (a residency by investment program) is an immigration plan that allows non-European Union (EU) citizens to obtain Portuguese residency through purchasing properties or other forms of investment.  Since

By Tiago Gali Macedo  The recent changes implemented to the Portuguese Residency by Investment Program, or Portugal‘s Golden Visa Program as it’s known worldwide, will undoubtedly lead to a profound shift in the investment options commonly

By Joana Mendonça   Portugal’s Golden Visa, renowned for offering residency through investment, has firmly established itself as one of the most sought-after programs of its kind since its launch in 2012. However, this popular

By Raquel de Matos Esteves & Inês Marques Dias  Portugal’s recent announcement that it was ending its  non-habitual resident (NHR) tax regime in Portugal, after the approval of the State Budget Law for 2024, marked

In recent years, these two cities have engaged in heated competition for the title of “Asia’s financial center.”

By Stephen Isidore Dominica has made sweeping changes to its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, all geared to increase the propriety and integrity of the program and attract investors of good standing as participants. One of the

By Moustafa Daly Despite Greece’s golden visa program attracting over $1.3 billion in foreign investment throughout 2023, according to Migration and Asylum Ministry figures, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) plans to end the lucrative program. Party

By Moustafa Daly Dominica announced a set of new regulations for its citizenship by investment program (CBI). The new regulations are seemingly in compliance with the European Union (EU)’s six principles or demands made to CBI programs

By Moustafa Daly To attract wealthy investors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and China, Pakistan announced the launch of a new investor visa. The visa has been a few months in the works

By Moustafa Daly 2023 has been a year of change and turmoil for the global residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) industry. On the one hand, demand and programs continued expanding worldwide as rising sociopolitical

By Moustafa Daly Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), just launched an affordable investor visa program to attract foreign investors and entrepreneurs. This residency by investment (RBI) visa

By Moustafa Daly After its previous version was deemed unpopular, Malaysia’s My Second Home (MM2H) investor visa program has just been revamped with eased restrictions and varying packages, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing announced in

By Moustafa Daly Australia’s federal government is considering leveling fines at foreign property owners who leave their properties vacant. The fines could amount to up to AUD169,000 (approximately $111,000) and constitute a push by the

By Moustafa Daly El Salvador launched a Bitcoin-based citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program, Freedom VISA, targeting crypto investors. It is one of the first CBI programs in the world to accept Bitcoin as payment for citizenship, along with the

By Moustafa Daly  Thailand is issuing a new investor visa to attract investors and foreign workers to its Eastern Special Development Zone. Also known as the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), it is a vast special

By Moustafa Daly The United Kingdom is introducing stricter migration rules for foreign workers to curb record migration levels starting in the spring of 2024. The new measures come after net migration to the UK reached 672,000

By Moustafa Daly The Malaysian government will soon ease restrictions on its residency by investment program, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), after a review found it unpopular. The announcement, made by the Minister of Tourism Datuk

By Moustafa Daly In its state budget voting on Wednesday, the Portuguese Parliament voted to maintain but slightly restrict access to the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax scheme in 2024 – however with plans to scrap it altogether

By Moustafa Daly In early 2022, the start of the Russia – Ukraine war quickly alarmed Western governments to potential security risks posed by the inflow of regime-affiliated Russian oligarchs to these countries. Among the

By Moustafa Daly France and the United States (U.S.) announced that nationals from both countries will have easier access to investor visas and long-term residencies. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the French

By Moustafa Daly Japan recently announced it’s considering making it easier for foreign entrepreneurs to move and launch businesses there.  Government sources said that if approved, the new policy will enable foreign entrepreneurs to obtain two-year

By Marta Lillo On Nov. 14, the government of Peru published a decree law that sets up the country’s first digital nomad visa program, Digital Nomad-Residence. According to the Superintendency of Migration, the visa is

By Moustafa Daly  Vanuatu recently announced a new citizenship-by-investment (CBI) route, requiring applicants to invest in the Coconut Oil Future Fund (CNO Future Fund) an amount of $138,000 for a family of four. Unlike other available

By Moustafa Daly Cyprus is considering tightening or possibly eliminating its residency by investment (RBI) program (aka golden visa) after a regulatory audit committee found signs of misuse. “It is commonly understood that the [RBI program] is outdated,”

By Moustafa Daly The Quebec government just announced that the revived Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) will be open for applications in January 2024. The program, suspended since 2019, had been one of the most popular routes to

By Michael Shribman The Canadian Startup Visa program is an attractive pathway for entrepreneurs looking to establish innovative businesses on Canadian soil. This program has garnered interest for its potential to provide entrepreneurs with permanent residency

By Moustafa Daly Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, announced his resignation on Nov. 7. In position since 2015, Costa’s departure comes after prosecutors issued arrest warrants for five individuals including his chief of staff for

By Moustafa Daly Vanuatu, an Oceanic country made up of a number of islands, just announced the expansion of its citizenship by investment (CBI) offerings to include an interest-yielding investment in the national Coconut Oil Future

By Moustafa Daly Starting January 2024, highly skilled foreign workers in the Netherlands may start paying more taxes. Approved by the Dutch House of Representatives, new legislation proposes to limit a preferential tax regime that gives skilled

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive announced the imminent reintroduction of the island’s residency-by-investment program, the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

By Moustafa Daly The Italian government proposes restricting a preferential tax regime that gives foreigners and returning Italian diaspora tax cuts applicable to 70% of their income. The ”Lavoratori Impatriati” currently makes Italy an attractive destination for

By Moustafa Daly Until recently, investors seeking Portugal’s golden visa could simply buy property and then apply. It has changed since a new law came into effect earlier this month, scrapping the real estate investment option. To qualify for Portugal’s

By Moustafa Daly In the latest move by the European Union (EU) to regulate residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) programs within the union and elsewhere, the EU Commission just made a set of proposals that would

By Moustafa Daly The Italian Council of Ministers just approved a decree that expands eligibility for skilled foreigners to obtain the EU Blue Card, a special kind of work permit. The approval comes after the

By Moustafa Daly One of the Middle East’s largest economies, Egypt has been struggling with a foreign currency shortage that’s driving up inflation rates and increasing its vulnerability to external factors such as the Russian

By Moustafa Daly When pursuing a golden visa or a citizenship-by-investment (CBI) in different countries, foreign investors must contemplate many aspects to decide on the worthiness of their investments. Top of the list is often

By Moustafa Daly Like many European and advanced economies, France is facing an imminent labor shortage – and it’s working on a new immigration bill to address it. In the works since February 2023, the new bill

By Moustafa Daly Born a citizen of Bangladesh, 35-year-old serial entrepreneur Kamran Sarkar has lived in different countries throughout his life. Educated in the United Kingdom and with family and business in Australia and the

By Moustafa Daly Australia is expected to make changes to its migration policy by the end of this year, following the announcement of a major overhaul in May. The proposed update includes potentially ending the Business

By Marta Lillo The residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) programs evolve in aspects such as global interest, regulation and requirements, regional competition, and diversification of alternatives. What are the differences between residency and citizenship

By Moustafa Daly Less than a week after introducing long-debated golden visa restrictions, the prime minister of Portugal, António Costa, announced his government’s intention to end a favorable tax regime for foreigners in 2024. “The PM

By Anayat Durrani Hong Kong’s population increased by 2.1% to more than 7.5 million in the first half of 2023, per Census and Statistics Department figures. The rise could be due in part to arrivals

By Moustafa Daly During the pandemic, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s economy shrank by 6.1% in 2020, but it has since made a rebound.  A robust and open business environment, relaxed immigration policies, and a neutral

By Moustafa Daly The government of the Netherlands is scrapping its investor visa starting January 1, 2024. The residency by investment program, launched in 2013 with an investment threshold of €1.2 million, has fallen short in attracting

By Moustafa Daly With visa-free access to over 150 global destinations, Antigua and Barbuda’s passport is considered among the world’s most powerful. This realization led the Caribbean nation to catch up to its neighbors by launching

By Moustafa Daly With visa-free access to over 150 global destinations, Antigua and Barbuda’s passport is considered among the world’s most powerful. This realization led the Caribbean nation to catch up to its neighbors by launching

By Moustafa Daly A month after a presidential veto on Portugal’s “More Housing” bill, the republic’s Parliament overwhelmingly voted to pass the law draft without changes last Friday. “As announced, the Socialist Party (PS), which has

By Moustafa Daly In the first half of 2023, the UAE Emirate of Dubai reported a 52% increase in the number of golden visas issued to foreign investors, per recently released government figures. The UAE golden

By Moustafa Daly Before 2020, only a lucky few experienced a full-fledged “digital nomad” lifestyle with the freedom to work from anywhere. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and shifting work preferences sent the numbers of digital

By Moustafa Daly Foreigners seeking residency in the United States (U.S.) through investment often use the EB-5 visa route, which requires an investment ranging between $800,000 and $1,050,000, depending on the location of the project and the creation of

By Moustafa Daly There is a growing global competition to attract entrepreneurs and skilled individuals, mainly in the tech industry. And these individuals are finding more options to relocate and obtain a second residency or

By Anayat Durrani and Uglobal Staff For many investors, getting a second passport means securing a coveted exit strategy. A second citizenship or golden visa can open up many doors, bring lower taxes, asset protection, and greater

By Moustafa Daly Indonesia just launched its long-anticipated golden visa program to attract foreign investors, with visa duration ranging from five to 10 years. The corporate five-year visa is now available with a minimum investment threshold

By Moustafa Daly Kazakhstan, one of Central Asia’s largest economies, announced it is overhauling its immigration policy in a bid to attract skilled migrants and investors. The Chairperson of the Migration Committee at the Kazakh Ministry

By Moustafa Daly The Czech Republic just became the latest European Union (EU) country to introduce a digital nomad visa.  The visa option aims to solidify the Czech Republic’s position as a technology hub. “Over the past

By Moustafa Daly  Over the past decade, the global residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) industry has been expanding rapidly. Global investors have poured billions of dollars into golden visa programs in Europe, the Caribbean,

By Moustafa Daly Following a majority parliamentary approval for the housing bill in Portugal two weeks ago, the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, just announced vetoing the bill, sending it back for further parliament deliberation and

By Moustafa Daly Canada’s immigration minister recently announced the country’s tech talent strategy to attract foreign workers and entrepreneurs to the country. The strategy opens the door for US H-1B visa holders to relocate to Canada,

By Moustafa Daly Canadian authorities announced launching the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) program to make hiring foreign labor easier for local businesses. The three-year pilot program is part of the existing Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program,

By Moustafa Daly Golden visas, or residency by investment programs, were first introduced to the world in the mid-1980s when St. Kitts & Nevis, a small Caribbean island with a powerful passport, launched its own investment immigration

By Moustafa Daly Thailand Elite Visa for foreign investors is set to witness major changes by October 31. Touted as the ‘VIP access to Thailand’, the current Elite Visa grants foreign investors multiple-entry, long-term visas to

By Moustafa Daly The government of New Zealand revamped its Skilled Migrant visa by introducing a simplified point-based system. The changes aim to enhance the visa’s clarity and help attract skilled talent to the country. “As with

By Moustafa Daly Grenada’s Citizenship by Investment Unit introduced personal interviews to all citizenship applicants starting September 1, 2023. This is the third Caribbean nation to add this measure as a mandatory prerequisite to obtaining citizenship, following

By Moustafa Daly The Supreme Court of Spain ruled against a royal decree from 2011 that obligated foreign residents to spend six months or more in Spain every year to maintain their residency status, citing the constitutional

By Moustafa Daly Indonesia is to roll out a golden visa program to attract global talent and investors to the Southeast Asian country, set to become available by September 2023 at the latest, according to local

By Marta Lillo Saudi Arabia has launched a new “visiting investor” visa to streamline the process for international investors and companies looking to expand their portfolios within the kingdom. It is the most recent Arab

By Moustafa Daly  The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, said that EU is working to establish a committee to review and structure the CBI programs of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

By Moustafa Daly St. Kitts and Nevis has announced doubling its CBI investment threshold to $250,000 for main applicants. “The trend since 2016 is clear: it’s not getting easier or cheaper to obtain a second passport.

By Moustafa Daly Canada reached the cap of 10,000 applicants for its new residency route in less than 48 hours after launching the program on July 16, aimed at attracting tech talent from the US through the

By Marta Lillo Significant trends are shaping the global passport strength landscape in 2023. Singapore recently stole the top spot in this year’s Henley Passport Index. The Singaporean travel document allows citizens to visit 192 travel

By Moustafa Daly In its final vote on the ‘Housing Bill’, the Portuguese Parliament approved the government’s proposal to end the real estate golden visa while maintaining other golden visa routes for international investors. The bill, which

By Moustafa Daly The UK is suspending visa-free travel with five countries, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu, and Dominica, the last two of which run citizenship-by-investment programs that in big part rely on visa-free access to developed countries, including the

By Moustafa Daly Dominica, a Caribbean commonwealth island nation with a popular citizenship-by-investment program, has just announced that applicants to the program will now have to undergo mandatory personal interviews – effective immediately. The move

By Moustafa Daly The government of Singapore has announced stricter criteria for foreigners wishing to obtain or renew their Employment Pass (EP) in the country. Applicants to the EP will now be subjected to a two-stage eligibility

By Marta Lillo Portugal is paving the way to officially terminate new residence permit applications for investment in housing, thus putting an end to its golden visa program as it is currently known. Other investment streams, including the

By Moustafa Daly Malta’s newly launched visa for entrepreneurs and startup founders aims to attract talent and funds to the small EU island nation. “The main motive for launching Malta’s Startup Residence Programme is to turn the

By Marta Lillo Investors interested in St Kitts and Nevis have until next year to apply for its Citizenship by Investment program with a lower investment threshold as the island government has extended the deadline to apply

By Moustafa Daly The UAE has announced that top-performing students residing in the country will be awarded an unconditional golden visa. Regardless of their country of origin, high school students scoring at least 95% of the exams

By Penny Konitsioti  Greece has extended the period for obtaining a “Golden Visa” at 250,000 euros until July 31, 2023 for applications in central Athens, the northern and southern suburbs in Attica, Mykonos, Santorini and Thessaloniki.

By Moustafa Daly Canada is adopting a new strategy that will open new residency pathways for foreign tech workers and entrepreneurs, aiming to attract top talent and enhance the current Startup-Visa program. Introducing its ‘tech talent

By Moustafa Daly To address a critical labor shortage, Germany’s parliament just passed a new labor law set to make it easier for foreign labor to move to the country. “The lack of skilled labor is

By Moustafa Daly Demanding an end to extended delays in issuing their permanent residencies, Chinese applicants to Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment (BIIP) Program took to the streets of Sydney last week in a rare protest. “The

By Moustafa Daly In a move that surprised many, the Portuguese government on Tuesday submitted a proposal to the parliament backtracking on its plans to fully cancel the golden visa program, however still pursuing an end to the

By Moustafa Daly South Korea extended its real estate investment visa for three years and doubled its threshold to 1 billion won (around $781,000), according to a statement by the country’s Justice Ministry. The RBI program

By Moustafa Daly Set to come in effect in January 2024, a new Parliament-approved Greek law opens new residency routes for foreign investors. As it stands, foreigners are able to obtain Greek residency by investing between €250,000

By Moustafa Daly Ever since their inception in the 1980s, global residency and citizenship by investment programs (RCBIs) have been popular among affluent applicants from developing countries seeking to gain global mobility and preserve their

By Moustafa Daly Canada immigration minister Sean Fraser has announced that citizens of 13 countries who meet certain criteria will now be exempt from having to apply for a visa when entering Canada. Instead, they will

By Moustafa Daly The Montenegrin remote work visa has finally become available to applicants as announced by the government.  With this visa, the Central Europe country, which is a candidate to join the European Union by 2025,

By Moustafa Daly Nearly four months ago, the Portuguese government announced ending the golden visa program as part of its strategy to combat rising housing costs, setting in motion a legal process that aims at scrapping Europe’s most

By Moustafa Daly The global residency and citizenship by investment industry traces its roots back to the 1980s. Among the pioneering programs that kickstarted the industry was the program of St Kitts and Nevis, which was launched

By Moustafa Daly Canada’s Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, suspended since November 2019, is soon to be revived with increased limitations and different criteria, as recently announced by the government of Quebec. “The reopening of the QIIP

By Moustafa Daly The process to revamp Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment program is in progress. The EU is directly involved in the reform process, announcing that regular virtual meetings will be held between EU and Vanuatu officials

By Moustafa Daly While the concept of golden visas or residency by investment traces its roots back to the Canadian investor program that was launched in the mid-1980s, it is European programs that have cashed in on

By Moustafa Daly After Ireland shut down its investor residency program, and Portugal seemingly en route to end its own golden visa, investors are increasingly seeking other golden visa programs in the EU that give them unrestricted

By Moustafa Daly In one of the biggest shakeups to its immigration system in decades, Australia’s Home Affairs minister Clare O’Neil has announced a revamp to the country’s skilled migrant visa policies, among other measures, to

By Moustafa Daly Shortly after Portugal and Ireland announced ending their golden visa programs back in February, the Spanish left-wing Más País party also announced it would soon be submitting a proposal to the country’s parliament to end the real

By Moustafa Daly High-net-worth individuals are those with at least $1 million dollars in assets, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals are those with $30 million or more. Following the pandemic, the fortunes of HNWIs and UHNWIs witnessed

By Moustafa Daly Bulgaria, which halted its CBI program in 2021, has launched new regulations for its residency by investment program. “The new rules regulate how exactly the investment needs to be done so that the candidates

By Anayat Durrani The economic downturn, the war in Ukraine, and skills and labor shortages are three major factors impacting immigration policy worldwide, according to the recently released Worldwide Immigration Trends Report by global immigration

By Moustafa Daly Cyprus, the EU island nation, has announced a number of new regulations pertaining to foreigners seeking permanent residency in the country through investment. The announcement was made on Friday, April 21, 2023,

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 10Global Immigration Companies for 2022. To be eligible, distinguished companies needed to assist clients with inbound investment for migration purposes and market global CBI and RBI

The new EB-5 legislation, called the Reform and Integrity Act (RIA), was passed into law on March 15, 2022, and has many different rules and caveats on how visas get processed.  These rules may be hard for investors

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Attorneys for 2022. To be eligible, distinguished attorneys needed to be primarily active in the investment migration space and experienced in filing a

By Moustafa Daly Calling for better wages and workplace inclusivity, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the second-largest public sector union representing 155,000 federal employees, has announced a nationwide strike starting today, April 19,

Being one of the most established residency-by-investment programs, the Portuguese Golden Visa is popular among individuals or families looking for a second residency, second home, second passport or a succession plan. Having multiple options of investment, one

By Moustafa Daly Australia is famous for many things that make it a place like no other. But aside from the kangaroos and koalas, the land down under also offers a vibrant business environment, high quality

By Moustafa Daly Two months in the making, the Portuguese government has finally made the final draft of the housing bill available that it intends to present for a legislative vote. The bill proposes the end

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Agency CEOs for 2022. To be eligible, distinguished global migration agency CEOs needed to represent clients on outbound investments and migration solutions to

By Moustafa Daly With remote working becoming the norm for millions across the world, many countries are attempting to attract high-earning foreign workers to their economies with immigration-friendly policies. Colombia just became the latest country

By Moustafa Daly Venezuela has been in turmoil for over a decade. Shortages of goods and services and a crumbling economy on the back of record-breaking inflation rates have steadily worsened living conditions in the

Startup and early-stage entrepreneurs who want to launch a business in Australia can apply for the Business Innovation and Investment visa (Subclass 188) Entrepreneur Stream visa.  This is a provisional visa, valid from the date it is

By Moustafa Daly Greece’s anticipated doubling of its golden visa investment amount in popular and high-demand areas of the country to €500,000 applies in areas like Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Thessaloniki, while in other areas the threshold

By Moustafa Daly Bahrain, the small island nation of the Persian Gulf, has a rich but heavily oil-dependent economy. Much like its wealthy neighbors of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, its government is seeking to lessen

By Moustafa Daly Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is enduring one of its worst labor shortages in decades, which is effectively hampering its economy’s ability to grow in a sustained manner. It’s estimated that it needs

By Moustafa Daly Suspended since November 1, 2019, Canada’s Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) was anticipated to once again be open for application on April 1, 2023. The Canadian government just announced, however, that the suspension will

By Moustafa Daly In its final draft of the ‘More Housing’ bill, meant to address the country’s housing crisis, the Portuguese government confirmed its intention to halt issuance of new golden visas in the country,

By Moustafa Daly Since the closure of its Tier 1 Investment visa in February 2022, businessmen and entrepreneurs seeking investment-based migration to the UK could so by investing £50,000 in an innovative new or existing business venture via the

By Moustafa Daly  Over the past three years, and particularly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, residency and citizenship by investment programs have been seeing increased interest from global investors. Having their mobility heavily restricted in

By Moustafa Daly The anticipated Spanish digital nomad visa has finally been made available to applicants, more than a year after it was first announced by the Spanish government. After a parliament approval in November 2022 as

By Moustafa Daly In July 2022, the Albanian government announced that it was working on a citizenship-by-investment program that would soon be available to global investors. Weary from the EU’s reaction, the government has now announced suspending

By Moustafa Daly The Caribbean CBI programs have been getting increased scrutiny from the EU and the US over security concerns. Now the UK is joining in. Speaking at a recent Washington DC conference, the UK security

By Moustafa Daly Anna Morris, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of treasury for global affairs, recently went to the capital of the Caribbean twin-island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis for a roundtable discussion with the prime

The Turkish Citizenship by Investment Program (TCBI) was launched by the Turkish government back in 2017, and has since been met with great interest from global investors. The Turkish passport enables visa-free travel to 110 countries, is

Uruguay and Paraguay are two countries in South America which are often overlooked. Yet they offer a great option for wealthy migrants who look for a permanent residence that can be converted to citizenship after some time.

By Moustafa Daly Since 2004, global investors could obtain Singapore residency status for a five-year term, which could be renewed, by investing S$2.5 million (US$1.86 million) in ventures and enterprises that boost the economy and create jobs.

The popularity of Canada’s Start-up Visa Program (SUV Program) is growing at a pace that was not anticipated by Immigration Canada. With about 1,000 new applicants every month, Canada is faced with a dilemma: how to operate

By Moustafa Daly Following the announcement from Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa to end the country’s popular golden visa program in mid-February, his government has released the official draft of the proposal it intends to present to

By Moustafa Daly Namibia has joined the countries that offer residency-by-investment programs on the African continent. Foreigners can now obtain Namibian residency by purchasing a property worth at least $316,000 at an approved project in Namibia’s second

By Moustafa Daly Hong Kong, one of the world’s most developed cities, has announced it will soon be relaunching its residency-by-investment scheme to attract foreign investors, as announced by its Financial Secretary Paul Chan in

By Moustafa Daly Last November, the EU abruptly halted its visa-waiver agreement with Vanuatu, an island-nation in the South Pacific which makes an estimated 30% of its annual revenue from its CBI program. The decision followed

By Anayat Durrani More Americans are chasing a different American dream outside of the United States as the country is losing some of its allure among migrating millionaires. The net inflow of high-net-worth individuals to the

By Moustafa Daly Malaysia currently has two nation-wide residency-by-investment programs, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), and the more recent Premium Visa Programme (PVIP), both requiring a minimum deposit of RM 1 million ($215,000) in a Malaysia bank

By Moustafa Daly St Kitts and Nevis government has recently announced a number of changes to its laws governing the country’s popular citizenship-by-investment program. These include outlining the appointment procedures for the president and board of governors

By Moustafa Daly As neighboring Portugal announced ending its golden visa, the Spanish left-wing party, MásPaís (More Country), came forward with a parliamentary proposal to end the real estate option in the country’s golden visa program.

By Uglobal Staff The Portuguese government today announced ending its golden visa program in an attempt to tackle the housing crisis in the country. During a press conference about new housing measures, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa

By Moustafa Daly Starting Feb. 15, 2023, the Irish Immigrant Investor Program will no longer be active, according to a statement by the Irish Minister for Justice Simon Harris. “I have recommended that it is now timely

By Moustafa Daly Singapore, the prosperous island-nation of Southeast Asia, is addressing an anticipated talent crunch by launching a new five-year visa granted to wealthy foreigners earning at least S$30,000 ($22,600), which was announced last

By Moustafa Daly The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), which issues and renews golden visas, is being sued by more than 60 golden visa applicants for delays in scheduling their application and renewal appointments, local

By Moustafa Daly Kuwait, the small oil-rich nation of the Persian Gulf, is considering launching its variation of a residency-by-investment program. As per the country’s Ministry of Interior, which oversees visa policies of the country, foreign

By Moustafa Daly The golden visa fever that has taken over Europe over the past decade was not mirrored in the UK. The UK’s Tier 1 Investor Visa, which was introduced in 2008, came to a halt

By Moustafa Daly For the first time, Portugal’s Golden Visa holders are now able to renew their visas online. The move was recently announced by the country’s Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) in a bid to tackle

The Portuguese government is taking the first steps towards implementing an “E-residency” program to attract foreign entrepreneurs. The digital program would allow foreign citizens, who don’t live in Portugal, to use Portuguese public services online.

By Moustafa Daly Spain recently introduced its Blue Card program, which meets the EU Blue Card Directives where EU countries must issue and regulate Blue Card within their territories. The Spanish Blue Card, which was launched

By Michelle Hammond There’s nothing quite like a Caribbean beach. The sparkling blue water, the soft white sand, the palm trees swaying in the breeze… but, did you know that the Caribbean is also a popular

By Kenneth Camilleri Now in its second year, the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) has attracted hundreds of applications since its inception in 2021. The MPRP is a permanent residence program for third country nationals who invest in

By Moustafa Daly To attract and keep talented workers, UAE is increasing the length of its golden visa. In 2019, following decades of strict visa and residency policies, the UAE launched its golden visa scheme, aiming at

By Moustafa Daly With a new CEO of its Citizenship by Investment Unit, St Kitts and Nevis is shaking things up.  Michael Martin, who also is the CEO of St. Kitts-based Caribbean Commerce Ltd., introduced a slew

By Alessia Ajelli Up until early 2022, Italy had no specific provisions regulating the influx of remote workers from outside the EU (aka digital nomads) – meaning that no such workers could enter the country on a visa

By Moustafa Daly In the making since September 2022, Greece’s parliament has announced it is moving forward with a government-proposed amendment to double the investment threshold for the Greek golden visa program from $250,000 to $500,000, however

By Moustafa Daly Following its recent approval by the US Senate in December, the Amigos Act was finally signed into law by President Joe Biden, officially announcing Portugal as an E-2 treaty country and granting Portuguese citizens

By Moustafa Daly St Lucia, one of the fastest growing eastern Caribbean economies, launched its citizenship-by-investment program back in 2016, becoming one of the latest such programs to be launched in its region. The program

By Moustafa Daly Turkey’s citizenship-by-investment program, which was launched in 2017, has recently witnessed an uptick in popularity particularly among Russian and Ukrainian individuals. One of the shortest routes to citizenship-by-investment in Turkey is by purchase of

By Moustafa Daly For better or worse, 2022 has been a pretty eventful year. As soon as the world economy started slowly recovering from the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia invaded Ukraine in February,

By Moustafa Daly St. Kitts and Nevis’s prime minister, Terrance Drew, has announced that his government has replaced the longtime CEO of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), Les Khan, with Michael Martin, the CEO

By Anayat Durrani Greece has announced that it is doubling the minimum investment amount for the property investment option of its Golden Visa. The cost is set to double from 250,000 euros to 500,000 euros in

By Charlotte Brun Over the years, Malta has become more and more popular with expats, with one in five inhabitants in Malta today being a foreigner. Being an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, situated

By Moustafa Daly Many countries with citizenship by investment programs around the world count access to the U.S. E-2 visa treaty as a major advantage to its CBI offerings. As do other countries with residency by investment

By Moustafa Daly Despite taking in a record number of migrants over the past decade, Germany, like many industrialized nations, is suffering a skilled labor shortage which experts have estimated is costing its economy a jaw-dropping

By Moustafa Daly Spain has a Golden Visa program through which investors can get residency by buying property worth $500,000 or more. The program has recently witnessed an uptick in popularity, but remains on the expensive side, with

Sri Lanka, a small island country in South Asia, has announced it will soon be offering long-term residence to foreign condominium property holders, according to the Sri Lankan Board of Investment, which collaborated with the

By Moustafa Daly In a highly-anticipated Portuguese parliamentary session this week, the legislative body rejected a proposal from the Communist Party to end the country’s popular Golden Visa program, a residency-by-investment program that brought in nearly

By Moustafa Daly Malaysia has announced that its immigration department is expecting a total of RM 5 billion ($1.1 billion) this year, driven by its offering of various immigration programs including the recently-launched residency-by-investment Premium

By Moustafa Daly Indonesia, the world’s fourth most-populated country and biggest archipelagic state, is gearing up to launch its residency-by-investment program, coined the ‘second home visa’ program, giving non-Indonesians an option of getting 10-year residencies in

By Anayat Durrani Wealthy and talented foreign investors are sought by the government of Thailand. The country is seeking a million wealthy foreigners to settle in Thailand over the next five years to bolster the

By Moustafa Daly Last year, Canada saw the biggest influx of immigrants to the country, reaching 405,000 newcomers, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced. The Canadian government, anticipating potential labor shortages and economic downturns, is doubling down with

By Moustafa Daly Uzbekistan, an emerging Central Asia economy, has announced it’s considering offering citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs that will see foreigners invest $1 million into its economy to get citizenship.  The land-locked country, which has historically deep

By Anayat Durrani The ongoing political unrest in Iran has many countries reevaluating their relations and policies toward the country. However, within the global migration industry, various country policies toward Iranian visa applicants appear to

By Moustafa Daly Vanuatu, a tiny island nation in the South Pacific, makes 30% of its annual revenue from its citizenship by investment program, giving investors visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. However, this is

By Anayat Durrani Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa has announced that the government is considering ending Portugal’s popular Golden Visa program. Costa said the government is reevaluating the program which he said had already served its

By Anayat Durrani Centimillionaires—individuals who possess $100 million or more—account for some 25,490 worldwide and have more than doubled over the past 20 years, according to a new report. Centimillionaires are called the new global

By Anayat Durrani The Republic of Armenia is considering a draft decision that would grant citizenship by decree to foreign nationals who have provided exceptional service to the country’s economy, science, education, culture, health and

By Anayat Durrani Non-European residents who launch a startup in Malta will now get to apply for a three-year residency through a newly launched Malta Startup Residence Program.  “The Maltese Government has been working on this program

The United Arab Emirates has significantly expanded its visa and resident permit offerings, updating the ways people can visit, live and work in the Middle Eastern country. The expansion now covers 10 types of visas, with some

By Anayat Durrani The European Commission plans to take Malta to court to file a legal challenge against the country for its popular golden visa scheme. The EU Commission claims Malta’s CBI program breaches EU law since

By Anayat Durrani With a population of more than 1.3 billion, India is an increasingly active group in the investment migration market. Indian nationals make up a large share of EB-5 investor visa market and second passports

By Anayat Durrani  New changes have been announced by the Commonwealth Government of Dominica regarding their popular citizenship by investment program. These changes reflect the criteria for dependents and went into effect Sept. 15. Dominica’s CBI

Singapore is poised to become home to Asia Pacific’s highest share of millionaires in the adult population by 2030, a change that could affect the tiny Southeast Asian country’s emerging residency-by-investment program that is spurring foreign-born capital

The government of Albania is looking for a private company to promote its planned citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program, a signal that indicates the country is moving forward with the endeavor despite facing opposition from the European

By Anayat Durrani More than two years after the pandemic, global migration continues to be impacted by a growing feeling of uncertainty about the future. The current conditions have led many individuals to redefine their

By Anayat Durrani An increasing number of foreign investors are turning to Spain to live and work. Interest in Spain comes from people seeking lifestyle changes due to the pandemic and a desire to have

By Anayat Durrani Known as one of the most popular residency by investment programs in the world, Portugal’s Golden Visa program remains a popular choice for investors who want to make Portugal’s sea, sun and sand their

Portugal has become a popular destination for those seeking investment migration locations. As a country, it boasts a very high quality of life. For such a small country, it has a wealth of natural beauty from

By Anthony DeMarco The New Zealand government has made changes to its investor visa program to attract more high-value investors “who will bring growth opportunities to New Zealand businesses,” the country’s immigration office said in a statement

By Anthony DeMarco Vietnam is a country on the move with an economy that’s growing at a rapid pace. In July, while many countries are staring at recession, the government of the Southeast Asian nation

By Anayat Durrani After a 46-year career in hospitality and as a culinary educator in Portland, Oregon, Maxine Borcherding became a Sommelier and wine educator at the age of 60. What followed were frequent trips

By Anayat Durrani Portugal’s Borders and Immigration Service (SEF) has resumed accepting Golden Visa applications. Previously, investor visa applications were halted since December 2021 from being accepted into the SEF portal due to global and political circumstances

By Anayat Durrani Portugal’s Borders and Immigration Service, the SEF, has halted acceptance of new applications since December 2021, apart from applications filed under the job creation and cultural heritage investment pathway. “A variety of

By Anayat Durrani  Some new changes have been made to residence permits in Cyprus. The government’s cabinet approved on May 27 amendments regarding how immigration permits will be granted to foreign nationals. “The Cyprus Council of

By Uglobal Magazine Staff In what officials are calling an “immigration rebalance” plan, New Zealand government authorities recently announced new visa law changes aimed at moving away from attracting low-skilled labor in favor of workers from specialized,

By Uglobal Staff Numbers point to an expected rise in wealth in Africa, with five countries within the continent constituting 50% of its total wealth. Africa has more than $2.1 trillion U.S. dollars in total

By Anayat Durrani Buying property using cryptocurrency is becoming a growing possibility in more countries. The use of cryptocurrency in the investment immigration industry is starting to take off, most recently with Portugal and with the Caribbean

The Turkish Cabinet has decided to raise the minimum investment requirements for Turkey’s citizenship by investment program. With the regulations now published in the official gazette, the minimum investment amount for the program’s property acquisition pathway

By Anayat Durrani South Korea has come a long way from a poor agrarian society to a highly industrialized nation. Today it is the fourth largest economy in Asia and the 11th largest in the

By Eleni Drakou Cyprus has long been a renowned business centre. More and more companies nowadays choose Cyprus as a destination for corporate relocation and expansion. A number of advantages being offered by the country, including

By Sara Sousa Rebolo and Diogo Silva Melo The unit-linked life insurance is commonly used not just for protection purposes but also as an investment. It contrasts, due to its characteristics in terms of risk

Jeanee Crane-Mauzy is a conscientious young American woman who recently acquired her second passport from Vanuatu for an unusual reason: helping fight climate change. While many others usually opt for Vanuatu to gain a passport that offers

By Anayat Durrani The United Arab Emirates has announced a major overhaul of the country’s visa residency program that broadens the eligibility criteria for the 10-year Golden Residence Visa and 5-year Green Residence Visa, and has new

By Uglobal Staff The Turkish government has decided to increase the minimum CBI investment threshold for buying real estate in Turkey by more than 60%, according to several Turkish media outlets.  Previously, foreign investors could buy real estate

By Uglobal Staff Jordan has decided to open its lucrative commercial sector to foreigners who want to gain the country’s citizenship in exchange for investment as the country looks to compete with other Middle Eastern countries

By Uglobal Staff Migration professionals are calling for a balanced approach to deal with the complex issue of RCBI programs in Europe after the European Commission upped the ante against all EU member states offering investment immigration

By Salman Siddiqui American citizens have one of the most powerful passports in the world, and yet, for many investors, it simply does not serve all their needs. This is the journey of American investor Douglas

By Uglobal Staff Italy has announced a new visa stream for digital nomads from non-EU countries, which is expected to be implemented by this coming summer season and compete with other similar programs in Germany and Portugal. Italian immigration

By Uglobal Staff Caribbean countries have come under increased EU pressure to ban all Russians and Belarusians from their CBI programs ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February. While most Caribbean

By Uglobal Staff Latvia‘s government initially decided to end its residency by investment program, but the adopted text of the parliament’s final reading of the bill to this effect did not call for total ban

By Uglobal Staff Caribbean countries have come under increased EU pressure to ban all Russians and Belarusians from their CBI programs ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February. While most Caribbean

By Uglobal Staff Bulgarian lawmakers have voted in favor of ending the country’s citizenship by investment program during the second reading of the draft law to this effect; migration industry professionals warn the move would also affect

By Anayat Durrani More Americans are packing up their belongings and leaving the U.S. to relocate to Europe, the Caribbean and other distant locales around the globe. The lure of a second passport has been an easy and enticing way to

By Uglobal Staff European Parliament lawmakers have voted in favor of a legislative report calling on the European Commission to come up with its own legislative proposal to implement a phased end of all RCBI programs and

By Salman Siddiqui Caribbean nations are joining the chorus of Western sanctions on anti-Ukraine countries as Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Commonwealth of Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda all announce that they too will no longer allow wealthy Russians and

Congress has reauthorized the EB-5 Regional Center Program for another five years, ending a nine-month long lapse. The approval comes after the US Senate approved the omnibus bill Thursday following the action of the US

By Salman Siddiqui The Council of the European Union has decided to suspend its visa waiver deal with Vanuatu, citing serious deficiencies and inherent risks in the country’s CBI program as the main reasons for the drastic step.

By Uglobal Staff Ireland and Spain have become the latest European countries to announce a blanket ban on investment immigration programs for all Russian nationals. They are joining the ranks of other EU states, Greece, Malta and Portugal, which recently announced similar

By Salman Siddiqui The list of European countries shutting their golden visa residency doors to Russian and Belarusian citizens is growing rapidly after Portugal, Greece and Malta all announced they are imposing a total RCBI ban on these countries. The

By Uglobal Staff Investment immigration professionals disagree with a European parliament draft law that aims for a complete ban on RCBI programs in Europe, pointing out the fact that they are not opposed to making the

By Salman Siddiqui Migration industry professionals across Europe are expecting a surge in inquiries from Ukrainians following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, even though the window to seek investment immigration options abroad are nearing a close

By Uglobal Staff Canada has revised its targets under its freshly announced Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024, hoping to see as many as 451,000 permanent residents in a year as the country banks on the global

By Uglobal Staff Slovakia’s parliament has approved an amendment to the country’s citizenship law allowing Slovaks living abroad to hold dual nationalities. The key change to the law, which would take effect on April 1,

By Salman Siddiqui The UK home secretary has announced the shutting down of the Tier 1 Investor visa route for foreign investors with immediate effect citing national security concerns – a move that caught many British investment immigration

By Uglobal Staff Bahrain has become the latest gulf country to announce a new golden visa residency program for foreigners as the oil-and-gas rich kingdom competes with its regional rivals to diversify its economy and

By Uglobal Staff Australia’s announcement to reopen its borders later this month has created a wave of excitement among investment immigration industry professionals, with many expecting a boom in business travelers and investors interested in

By Uglobal Staff The U.S. House of Representatives has adopted the America COMPETES Act that proposes several key reforms in the immigration law, including the creation of a separate startup visa category for foreign entrepreneurs as

By Uglobal Staff The bill to end Bulgaria‘s golden passport program still has to go through a few stumbling blocks before it becomes a final act in the country’s parliament, even after the government-sanctioned draft was

By Uglobal Staff Thousands of undocumented migrants in Ireland are being a given a chance to become citizens via naturalization under a new program, which the country’s minister termed as a “once in a generation” opportunity. The

By Uglobal Staff Canada is likely to continue focusing on immigration candidates who are already present in the country for its federal economic programs during the pandemic, according to Canadian immigration industry professionals who spoke with

By Uglobal Staff Brazil has launched a new residency program specifically for digital nomads, allowing them to stay in the country on a renewable year-long visa as long as they work for a foreign employer.

By Uglobal Staff The Western Canadian province of Alberta has launched a new immigration pathway for foreign tech workers, promising potential candidates that their processing times for permanent residency applications would be less than six months despite

By Uglobal Staff Malta has seen an increase in digital nomads into the country after launching its Nomad Residence Permit program (MNRP) for non-EU citizens some six months ago, many of whom are from the UK and the

By Uglobal Staff Foreigners will now be able to live and work in Thailand for up to 10 years following the Thai cabinet’s approval to amend a key piece of an immigration legislation as the country looks

By Uglobal Staff The government of Vanuatu has taken steps to salvage its citizenship by investment program, appointing a UK-based due diligence agency as well as a new marketing firm, following the EU Commission’s proposal to partially

By Salman Siddiqui Southeastern countries and EU states are again dominating the list of nations whose citizens have the most powerful passports in the world, according to a new report. However, the investment immigration industry

By Uglobal Staff The Bulgarian cabinet has approved a bill to abolish the country’s golden visa program for foreign investors, citing the reason that the CBI program did not significantly boost the country’s economy or create many

By Salman Siddiqui Vanuatu‘s citizenship by investment program appears to be in jeopardy after the EU Commission announced today that it is seeking to partially suspend its visa waiver deal with the country on the

By Uglobal Staff Turkey has announced a major change in its citizenship by investment law, making all such investments conditional as the country looks to boost its foreign currency reserves and stem the continuing slide of

By Uglobal Staff Pakistan is crafting its own citizenship by investment policy, with plans to grant permanent residency and eventually citizenship to all foreign investors who make investments worth at least a million dollars in

When retirement approaches and high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are looking for a dramatic change in scenery — as well as adjusted lifestyles — many want to expand their citizenship portfolio, real estate holdings and

The government of Montenegro has reportedly delayed the expiration of its Citizenship by Investment program, which was set to sunset Dec. 31. The move came after the Montenegrin cabinet met in a session on Dec.

By Salman Siddiqui The global RCBI industry is one of those industries that not only survived but also thrived during the pandemic following innovations with new technologies and products tailored to the needs of HNWIs, digital nomads

By Uglobal Staff The Canadian prime minister has listed new priorities for the country’s immigration system, which among many things puts an emphasis on faster application processing times as well as a fee exemption for those

By Salman Siddiqui The global pandemic has led to an increase in digital transformation as well as a plenitude of digital nomad programs worldwide and a competition among countries to attract foreign talent, a new study shows.

Two new Associates, George Markouizos and Nadia Denelava are joining Foutsis & Partners LLP, a law firm based in Athens, Greece, with offices in Cyprus and Canada. Denelava is an immigration attorney specialized in Greece’s Golden Visa programs. Dr. Denia Ellul,

The Commonwealth of Dominica is the latest Caribbean destination to sign a waiver for a visa-free deal with China. Citizenship by investment programs in countries that offer visa-free access to China may not be a huge factor for most

The incoming German coalition government’s plans to overhaul the country’s citizenship laws, including the much-anticipated step of allowing foreign residents to become citizens in as little as three years, is most likely to take place

By Uglobal Staff The UAE has announced that retirees from all over the world can get long term residency in the oil-and-gas rich gulf nation. “Today, we have approved the conditions for granting residency to a

By Moustafa Daly Hungary, an EU and Schengen Area country in Central Europe, just announced it will soon be relaunching its golden visa program, which it had previously scrapped in 2017. A government draft bill

By Uglobal Staff Ireland‘s Department of Justice has announced changes to the citizenship application process and extended the validity period of expired residency permits for foreigners until mid-January next year. Those who apply for citizenship

By Barbara Pestana Investors always have a recurring doubt: where and how to invest liquidity in a safe environment that is also efficient from a tax standpoint. Portugal’s Golden Visa program offers one the opportunity to obtain

By Uglobal Staff Saudi Arabia has started to grant citizenship to highly skilled foreign talent of a wide range of professions – a step that comes after several other gulf states in the region took similar initiatives

By Michelle Hammond Planting flags around the world is today not only a smart choice, but a necessity. A person’s citizenship defines them, in every sense. It dictates where you can live, where you can

By Uglobal Staff Maltese immigration professionals are hopeful that Malta’s investment immigration programs will withstand the ongoing pressure from the EU, which wants the country to halt the programs completely. Many also believe that the demand from

Migratio Group, an investment migration firm with 12 global offices and a corporate member of the Investment Migration Council (IMC), announced the appointment of 26-year-old Denis Kravchenko, Head of Stakeholder Relations at IMC, as its new CEO.

By Uglobal Staff Leading EB-5 industry professionals have termed President Joe Biden’s new international air travel order as a positive step that would help bring key investors back to the U.S. Since the pandemic began

By Uglobal Staff The number of residence permits issued for the first time to foreigners in the EU went down by 24% in 2020 because of the pandemic, according to new data released by Eurostat

By Uglobal Staff The Malaysian government has decided to revise some of its new rules for the Malaysia My Second Home (MMH2) program for foreign applicants who are already enrolled in the program following criticism from industry

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Agency CEOs for 2021. To be eligible, distinguished global migration agency CEOs needed to represent clients on outbound investments and migration solutions to

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Investment Migration Developers for 2021. To be eligible, distinguished developers needed to primarily cater towards investment migration solutions.  ARISTO DEVELOPERS HQ: Paphos, Cyprus CEO: Theodoros Aristodemou Aristo

By Uglobal Staff While Germany is going through a historic change with the exit of the country’s longest serving Chancellor Angela Merkel and the defeat of her party – the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) – to the

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Immigration Companies for 2021. To be eligible, distinguished companies needed to assist clients with inbound investment for migration purposes and market global CBI and

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is pleased to announce the Top 25 Global Migration Attorneys for 2021. To be eligible, distinguished attorneys needed to be primarily active in the investment migration space and experienced in filing a

By Uglobal Staff One lesson the post-pandemic world has taught wealthy individuals and investors, it is the fact that one citizenship or a single passport, even if it is from a powerful country like the U.S.,

By Edward C. Beshara Past misconception: Where are we now? Past EB-5 projects, attorneys, investors, EB-5 service providers, and groups/corporations were supporting the belief that before the Regional Center Program was to sunset, EB-5 investors had

By Kenny Chukwuma Some nationalities, especially Nigerians experience huge challenges in travelling around the world. The challenges faced by Nigerian travelers stems from that the Nigerian passport only allows the holder visa free travel to 20

By Eylul Elmaghraby Indian investor Samahit Bal invested in Greece’s Golden Visa program in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was assisted by the investment consultants at Golden Visa Greece by Energopiisi SA each

A once-in-a-century pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt and upended daily life. Freedom of mobility was put on pause as travel restrictions, lockdowns and border shutdowns became the new norm. All industries worldwide were impacted.

By Uglobal Staff The European parliament has adopted an agreement to revise the EU Blue Card Directive to make the EU an even more appealing place for the globally sought after highly skilled migrant workers.

By Eylul Elmaghraby Yemeni father Khaled Alzaraa invested in Portugal’s residency-by-investment program to offer his children better opportunities. Investor Alzaraa started a new chapter in Europe with the help of Next Lawyers, who provided the family with

By Uglobal Staff  Thailand has announced a new long-term visa program that would allow wealthy foreigners to stay in the country for a period of 10 years. The visa program is part of a new

By Salman Siddiqui Imagine you were born in Russia with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur who could work anywhere around the world using a powerful passport. But such ambitions hit a snag when you are confronted

By Uglobal Staff Jordan is now offering passports and citizenships to foreign investors who put in at least $1 million for a minimum period of three years as the country looks to generate employment and

By Uglobal Staff The European Commission has recommended that eight countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern European region, which the EU has visa-free regimes with, to phase out their planned CBI programs if they

By Salman Siddiqui While all major Canadian political parties agree that Canada’s economic survival depends on robust immigration policies, investment immigration professionals hope that the next Canadian government to emerge following the upcoming Sept. 20 election

By Jose Gomez-Urquiza From geopolitical concerns to favorable tax policy, investors from around the world are flocking to the U.S. as a safe haven for their funds. While this trend is not necessarily new, recent

By Uglobal Staff The UAE has announced a new visa stream called the Green Visa that will allow foreign investors, entrepreneurs and highly skilled workers to live and work in the gulf state without being required

By Uglobal Staff A new bill has been presented in the Greek parliament to amend the country’s investment immigration laws, proposing several key reforms as well as making provisions to accommodate the digital nomad visa trend.

By Alessia Ajelli Italy is one of the last EU countries to have introduced a visa and resident permit category in 2017 dedicated to foreign investors seeking to carry out an investment in the Italian market

By James Hall The Business Innovation and Investment program (BIIP) is designed to attract businesses, entrepreneurs and investors to Australia which has been successful with a consistently high demand that far exceeds the number of visas available.

By Rogelio Caceres Last year, the United States faced unprecedented challenges that will linger in the hearts of Americans for many years to come: a historically deadly pandemic, high rates of unemployment, crushing economic turmoil,

By Salman Siddiqui If there is one silver lining in the pandemic worth mentioning, it’s probably the rise of the global digital workforce and the smorgasbord of nomad visa choices they have to pick from. Costa

Mark Welch is an Australian migration agent and the director of Cargil Migration Consulting, based in Edinburgh, UK. He offers Australian immigration services to individuals, investors, business owners and corporations.  “I work on the basis of

By Pedro Borges Rodrigues and Sara Carpinteiro The Portuguese Golden Visa program was recently amended due to political pressures. However, contrary to what had been enunciated by the Portuguese Government, these amendments will only be in force on

By Salman Siddiqui There are still only a handful of countries that allow digital currencies for investment immigration purposes, leaving several global immigration firms at a disadvantage since they cannot tap into the now trillion-dollar

By Dr. Juerg Steffen For thousands of years, homo sapiens was nomadic, wandering the earth to search for food and follow the seasons. However, gradually, around 10,000 BCE, the need for frequent migration ceased and

By Kenneth Camilleri The recently launched Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), offers third country nationals the opportunity to reside, settle or stay indefinitely in Malta by investing in the country. The process of applying for and meeting

By Uglobal Staff The Malaysian government has reactivated its Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) long-term visa program following a months-long, post-pandemic freeze, announcing several key changes to minimum amount threshold requirements, making the scheme even more exclusive

By Uglobal Staff The UK has announced that it plans to introduce three more visa routes to attract global talent as it continues to look for way to boost its economy and regain its innovation edge

By Uglobal Staff Australia has granted close to 15,000 visas to businesspersons and entrepreneurs since the pandemic began last year, according to latest figures from the country’s Department of Home Affairs. A total of 10,210 visas

By Uglobal Staff United States’ President Joe Biden has signed an order to defer the enforced departure of thousands of Hong Kong residents in the U.S. for 18 months. Biden also said the Hong Kongers who would

By Uglobal Staff Canada is sharply increasing the number of new permanent residents in the country despite the ongoing pandemic, with June 2021 recording more than 35,000 successful applicants – the highest since the global COVID-19

By Salman Siddiqui Montenegro made a huge buzz this summer when it made the move to officially recognize same-sex relationships, which in turn meant that its citizenship by investment program opened up to wealthy same-sex couples

By Uglobal Staff The UAE government has announced that all foreign doctors and their families are now eligible to apply for the country’s golden visa residency program. The latest move is a step towards making the

By Uglobal Staff A bill proposing a new visa category for migrant entrepreneurs, known as the Let Immigrants Kickstart Employment (LIKE) Act, was introduced in the U.S. Congress on Monday. House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship

Mexico is the second largest country in Latin America in terms of HNWI population. In a World Wealth Report 2021 released in early July, the Capgemini Research Institute revealed the global HNWI population increased by

By Uglobal Staff Thailand has taken key steps to ease up COVID-related visa restrictions on foreign travelers this month, including forwarding the deadline for short term visa extensions as well as allowing vaccinated travelers from dozens

By Uglobal Staff Countries around the world were forced to shut down their borders abruptly when the pandemic hit last year, but are now slowly but surely, taken steps to open their borders following the

By Uglobal Staff Canada will carry out a new lottery process on Sept. 20 this year to randomly select 30,000 immigrant applicants, including permanent residents for allowing them to sponsor their parents and grandparents. The Canadian immigration minister

By Uglobal Staff New Zealand has begun implementing changes to its Essential Skills visa, offering applicants who earn less than the median wage up to two years stay in the country compared to the previous only

By Uglobal Staff The UK has officially launched its much-awaited immigration route for international students that would pave the way for the country to retain highly qualified talent from around the world and give a boost

By Uglobal Staff The UK is currently reviewing thousands of Tier 1 investor visas it granted to foreign investors before the 2015 reforms were made in its golden visa program, media reports. Some 6,312 Tier 1 investor

By Uglobal Staff Costa Rica has enacted a new law to make the Central American state more attractive for foreign investors, rentiers and pensioners, announcing tax exemptions and reduced investment thresholds. On July 5, President

By Uglobal Staff The population of global high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) is continuing to grow globally despite the pandemic, according to a new report. This may in turn lead to a shot in the arm for the global

By Uglobal Staff The pandemic has significantly diminished the power of passports from much sought-after destinations, like the U.S. and the U.K., whose real reach in terms of visa free access to places around the world is no

By Uglobal Staff As South Africa is battling another wave of the pandemic, the government has announced it will not process any new permanent residency permits until the start of 2022, a move that may

By Uglobal Staff Foreign investors looking to get an EU passport while simultaneously enjoying the mandatory five-year-long residency period on the sandy beaches of the Caribbean can now seriously consider the Dutch island of Curacao, which is

By Uglobal Staff Oman has announced a new investment immigration program that will allow foreign investors to live in the gulf state for up to 10 years starting from this fall. The Omani Ministry of

By Uglobal Staff The UK has so far received more than 5.6 million applications from EU citizens living and working in the country under the post-Brexit EU Settlement Scheme, which is set to expire in less than

By Uglobal Staff A U.S. District Court in California on June 22 ruled in favor of a regional center which had challenged a former acting Homeland Security secretary’s authority to enforce an increase in the

By Uglobal Staff The EU Digital COVID Certificate has so far been rolled out in 17 European countries, giving a boost of confidence to travelers to Europe, which in turn may help boost the investment immigration industry

By Uglobal Staff Citizenship-by-investment programs are helping build critical infrastructure around the world, including airports, hospitals and sustainable housing projects. One example is Commonwealth of Dominica, which recently announced the construction of its first international airport funded

By Uglobal Staff Kenya’s ongoing 60-day drive to clear its huge citizenship application backlog is expected to benefit hundreds of foreign investors. The Kenyan Department of Immigration Services has launched a special drive to clear

Arslan Tenha is a Turkish immigration attorney who runs his own practice, the Tenha Law Firm, in Istanbul. According to Tenha, even though the pandemic made an impact on the RCBI industry, it was only for a

By Uglobal Staff El Salvador aims to create a new law to allow foreign investors to get permanent residency via Bitcoin investment after the country achieved a historic milestone by adopting the digital currency as legal tender.

By Uglobal Staff Canada has launched two new permanent residency streams for talented Hongkongers who are already present in the country. Stream A focuses on fresh graduates while Stream B is for qualified workers from Hong

By Uglobal Staff Foreign investors are set to get a new route to permanent residency in The Bahamas this July after a draft law to amend the country’s immigration act was presented in the parliament

Burçin Barlas is a Turkish immigration attorney and the founding partner of Barlas Law Firm, an Istanbul-based law firm. “We provide legal services to local and international individuals and institutions at our office,” Barlas said. “The

By Uglobal Staff Malta has launched a new visa scheme to specifically cater to digital nomads. The Nomad Residence Permit allows them to stay for up to a year if they meet the criteria. The move

By Uglobal Staff Panama has announced two new major visa policies, one is an initiative targeted at attracting digital nomads while the other changes the country’s Friendly Nations visa. The government launched the new Short Stay

Attorney Saeed Jaberi runs Jaberi Lawyer, a law firm based in Hamburg, Germany. He provides legal services for immigration particularly in business immigration and immigration by employment. “We assist individuals from non-EU countries with immigration related issues,”

By Uglobal Staff  The UK has unveiled plans to launch new visa routes for attracting global businesses and the crème de la crème of global talent by spring 2022 alongside already existing schemes, several of which

By Uglobal Staff The EU will soon become more attractive for highly skilled foreign workers after the EU Council and European Parliament agreed provisionally to provide better living and work conditions to those with the EU Blue

By Uglobal Staff The European Parliament and the European Council have agreed on a provisional deal over the EU digital COVID-19 certificate, paving the way for its eventual implementation which may come as soon as

By Uglobal Staff Romania will soon officially launch a new visa program geared towards attracting remote workers from around the world who earn as low as 1,100 euros. A draft law to this effect was submitted to

By Anayat Durrani Looking to get a visa to live in Australia? Investors will now need to pay an extra $1 million to do so under a revised migration scheme that seeks greater investment in local

Life in a Private Equity World Not long ago, the glass of water you drink in the morning probably came to your home courtesy of your local government. Today, a private equity firm might ensure

By Uglobal Staff Nicky Gouder is a tax and private clients partner at Seed Consultancy in Malta. Seed is an internationally focused and research driven advisory firm, which focuses on private clients and tax, strategy and financial

By Uglobal Staff The United States has decided to keep its start-up visa rule for foreigners, known as the International Entrepreneur parole program, after it was delayed and slated for the chopping block for years. The

By Uglobal Staff The New Zealand government has announced that an inquiry commission will review the country’s working-age immigration policy, including assessing the skilled migrant visa category and recommend ways to boost investment immigration in the country.

There has been a sharp increase in Hong Kong investors buying up properties in London ever since the UK announced a new British National Overseas (BNO) visa for Hong Kong residents last year.   Since July 2020, there has

By Uglobal Staff The United Kingdom has announced a new visa route for young Indian professionals, thousands of whom will now have the option to work in the UK for up to two years. The new

By Uglobal Staff  Henan Zhang is a business development manager at Migra & Co., which is a boutique UK immigration firm based in Marylebone, London. The pandemic did make an impact on the residency and citizenship by

By Uglobal Staff Vanuatu has amended its citizenship by investment law to give wealthy foreigners the option to invest in the republic’s real estate sector. Previously, the island nation provided just a donation route to passports

Taiwan is planning to make its permanent residency rules for investors from Hong Kong stricter, according to Taiwanese reports quoting government officials. Currently, investors from Hong Kong can obtain permanent residency in Taiwan by investing at least

By Uglobal Staff Diogo Capela is the co-managing partner at Lamares, Capela & Associados, a law firm in Lisbon, Portugal, which provide legal solutions to those who want to live or invest in Portugal. Capela enjoys working

By Uglobal Staff Malta’s RCBI program has come under renewed scrutiny after leaked documents claim that the country has given out passports and citizenship to some wealthy foreign individuals despite them not meeting the minimum

By Uglobal Staff Russia is now just a step away from launching its own EU country-style Golden Visa scheme after a government committee gave its approval of a draft bill on permanent residency by investment

By Uglobal Staff  The EU has plans to officially launch its highly anticipated vaccine certificate this June with aims to facilitate the movement of people within its borders during the peak summer tourism period. EU

Immigration attorney Esme Palas is a partner at one of the largest firms in Cyprus, Michael Kyprianou & Co. LLC. She assists investors who are seeking a better way of life and are considering Cyprus for

Immigration attorney Esme Palas is a partner at one of the largest firms in Cyprus, Michael Kyprianou & Co. LLC. She assists investors who are seeking a better way of life and are considering Cyprus for

By Uglobal Staff Foreigners who wish to live and work in Thailand for the long term, either as digital nomads or retirees, may get a new and more relaxed visa option by the end of

By Uglobal Staff The world’s most powerful passport is the Japanese one, followed by passports from two other Far East nations, Singapore, which is ranked second, and South Korea, according to a new international report. Japanese passport holders

By Uglobal Staff The Canadian government has announced a new permanent residency pathway that will benefit tens of thousands of foreign workers already present in the country who are engaged in essential jobs such as health services

Indian Supreme Court’s decision to ban foreign law firms from operating in the country has pushed foreign lawyers to pursue online meetings with their Indian clients, which has come to define the post-pandemic world. In

By Anayat Durrani Cryptocurrency is nothing new but it may open doors to increased opportunities in the global migration industry. Some countries are looking to attract foreign crypto investors with relaxed policies, including in the

By Uglobal Staff The Malaysian government is expected to revive the suspended Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program soon, perhaps in a matter of weeks, as the country looks to give a boost to its

Qatar has launched a new office in its newly developed Lusail City to facilitate foreign investors in buying real estate that would in turn pave the way for long term residency in the Gulf State.

By Patrick McCarthy On March 31st, the Province of Quebec announced that its popular Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) could be on hold until April 1, 2023. The QIIP had been paused since November 1 2019, and that

Christina Lim is an Australian migration agent associated with the law firm Regis Legal in Australia’s Gold Coast. Lim, who is an immigrant herself, is a specialist in Australian migration and has successfully dealt with many clients seeking

By Uglobal Staff The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program will remain suspended for two more years as part of government reforms to modernize the immigration system in the eastern Canadian province. The program was slated to reopen April

Emilio Cornejo Vernaza is an attorney and a representative for the Panama investor visa. He is based in Panama City and is one of the founding partners of Panama Global Solutions, a law firm started in

Malta’s new regulations for gaining residency by investment came into effect today and no new applications will be accepted under the previous program. According to the official Malta Permanent Residence Regulations (MPRP) 2021, which was

Marco Mazzeschi is the founder of Mazzeschi S.R.L, one of the leading business immigration and citizenship law firm in Italy. He has more than 30 years of experience in corporate immigration and commercial law. The global pandemic

The Cyprus Permanent Residence Permit, which is granted to non-EU nationals investing in the Republic of Cyprus was amended on March 24. The amended Residence Permit scheme continues to apply to the applicant, the spouse, the

During the past two years, many experts were anticipating that Bulgaria would cancel its citizenship by investment program or would at least cripple its conditions. What happened however, came as surprise to many who were unaware of

The Australian Business and Investor visa program is changing from July 1. The current seven visa categories will be reduced to four, with the 188D Premium Investor visa, and both 132 Business Talent visa categories being discontinued. The remaining

By Anayat Durrani   North Macedonia is the latest country to invite international talent and investors to the nation through a new citizenship-by-investment program. A country of the south-central Balkans, it has a population of

By Uglobal Staff Montenegro will stop its citizenship-by-investment program by the end of this year, according to an official government statement. The Montenegrin Cabinet has decided the CBI program will expire at the end of

By Uglobal Staff Lithuania has changed its employment and residency laws to make the country more appealing to highly educated and talented foreign workers. The small Baltic state, which has a population of just under

Laszlo Kiss, a Vanuatu citizenship-by-investment agent, is the founder and managing director of Discus Holdings Ltd. in Malta. He said the pandemic has impacted the global RCBI industry in a positive way. “It opened the eyes of

By Uglobal Staff There is an increased demand among the world’s wealthiest individuals to obtain a second passport or legal residency beyond their home country, according to the newly released Wealth Report by Knight Frank. More than

By Uglobal Staff The United Kingdom will begin accepting visa applications for its new graduate route from July 1, which enables international students to stay in the country for at least another two years following the

Tiago Gali Macedo is the managing partner of Next Lawyers/Gali Macedo & Associados in Portugal. “As an immigration lawyer, I help people in all the stages regarding their relocation to Portugal, not only concerning the immigration procedure

By Uglobal Staff There has been a sharp rise in the interest among American investors to seek second passports and residency outside the U.S. during the pandemic. There was a 300% increase in Americans looking for second

By Uglobal Staff  China has launched a digital “vaccine passport” this week in the shape of an encrypted QR code on its WeChat app to promote travel and economic recovery, according to a Chinese news agency.

By Uglobal Staff The Slovakian government has announced that it will amend its citizenship law to allow hundreds of thousands of its former citizens living abroad to regain their Slovakian citizenship after they were abruptly

By Uglobal staff Cyprus will not replace its suspended citizenship by investment program, according to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. The announcement laid to rest rumors that the country was gearing up for a stricter and

By Uglobal Staff The U.K. has announced a new visa stream for highly-skilled migrants that will enable British financial businesses to hire employees without going through expensive and time consuming bureaucratic procedures. The new visa stream

By Uglobal Staff Canada has started accepting applications for its new visa stream providing a pathway to permanent residency to recent foreign graduates who want to build their own businesses and start-ups in the western Alberta

By Uglobal Staff The government of Bermuda has announced a new pathway to permanent residency for high-net-worth individuals that will start next week.  The initiative, called the Economic Investment Certificate and Residential Certificate Policy, will override all

By Sara Sousa Rebolo The Portuguese government has made changes to its “Golden Visa” investment immigration program. However, the changes will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2022, allowing investors and providers to reorganize their projects

By Uglobal Staff Malta’s new residency-by-investment program is set to be presented before the country’s parliament within weeks. Once passed, the program would make the Mediterranean island more competitive as a regional hub for attracting

By Uglobal Staff The U.K. has begun accepting applications for the new British National Overseas (BNO) visa, which paves the path for Hong Kong residents to earn British citizenship. The U.K. government started processing BNO

By Uglobal staff The United Arab Emirates has amended its citizenship law to attract capital and intellectuals to the Gulf country. The newly adopted law amendments allow UAE citizenship to nominated investors, specialized talents and professionals

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is proud to recognize the global investment migration industry’s most influential and powerful leaders with the distinguished Top 25 awards in four categories: Global Migration Agency CEOs, Global Migration Attorneys, Investment Migration Developers

Global mobility has always been significant among individuals who are seeking for improved living conditions for themselves and their families. Residency rights enable citizens to transfer not only their place of residence but also to transfer or

The United Kingdom is a first choice for many investors around the world for a variety of reasons. The UK has one of the highest GDP’s in Europe and is strategically located between multiple time-zones,

Turkey’s citizenship by investment program has become more attractive for investors with the recent changes in the country’s legislation. Now, foreign investors can fast track their citizenship processes without meeting the condition of minimum period of residency. The country

Surrounded by a turquoise colored sea and framed by white sand beaches, at first glance this 100-square-mile archipelago in the Caribbean Sea might appear to be little more than a vacation playground replete with palm

For decades, the name “Panama” has been linked to many positive and negative concepts: from the engineering marvel of the Canal, the country’s rich biodiversity and its multicultural background to an unfortunate link to illicit

Spain is becoming a hot spot destination for medium and high net worth individuals who are looking for a new legal residence and a second passport. Spain was the second most visited country in the

Many foreign investors are interested in purchasing a property in Italy and from a legal point of view, buying a house in Italy is quite safe. However, there are some points that must be taken into account

In Germany, the new Skilled Worker Immigration Act came into force on March 1, 2020. The new law marks a milestone for the German federal government in strengthening qualified immigration from abroad. In the light of the

Let’s compare the types of businesses preferred as investments, what businesses are excluded, the costs of state nomination, and the application process for business migration in each state and territory of Australia. The most popular ones

Until recently, Montenegro was considered a hidden gem, but since gaining independence in 2006, the tourism industry has grown rapidly. It now accounts for roughly 20% of GDP, strengthening the economy and stabilising politics in

The Skilled Immigration Act (Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) has taken effect in Germany. It aims to prepare its economy for the future. The mission of the act is to bring skilled workers from outside the EU in order

The New Zealand government, which today announced that it is temporarily restricting entry for all foreign nationals traveling from or via mainland China, has announced updates to its Parent Resident Visa. Applicants whose child is

The Antigua and Barbuda government is considering granting citizenship to stateless applicants born in Brunei, Kuwait, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, according to the Office of The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. People born in

The Alberta government in Canada is underway creating a specialized Startup Visa Stream with fast-track processing for qualified graduates of top U.S. universities who commit to launching a start-up venture in the province. Similar visa

After leaving the EU, UK is now in a transition period until Dec. 31 with some rules and regulations to be extended until July of 2021. The UK government has followed the Migration Advisory Committee’s

The Moldova parliament has extended the moratorium of accepting new applications for its CBI program until Sept. 1 this year. The temporary hold of the program is to give the government time to improve the

Turkey continues to see a steady increase of CBI applications with more than 5,000 foreign investors who have been granted citizenship following the country’s relaxed CBI legislation two years ago. Another 1,382 investors have completed

Moldova’s government has proposed to extend the moratorium on its CBI program until 2021. A draft law for the future of the program is expected to be considered by the parliament shortly. The Moldova program,

The Bulgarian citizenship by investment (CBI) program is currently one of three EU programs, alongside those of Malta and Cyprus that enables qualifying candidates to obtain fast-track citizenship by making an investment. The Bulgarian program,

UAE property developers are urging the UAE government to reduce the investment limit for its 10-year residence visas to stimulate the economy and real estate market. Developers are suggesting a price tag of 2 to

Uglobal is donating to help fight the spread of the coronavirus. We are joining forces with the American Lending Center and Sunstone Management by donating to help distribute needed medical supplies. The first shipment from

UK’s government has today released the initial details about its new points-based immigration system, which first phase takes effect in January of 2021. To be eligible, an applicant needs to collect 70 points based on

Malta is looking into launching a new CBI program later this year, according to Malta’s Parliamentary secretary for citizenship and communities Alex Muscat. Under a new program, the country might increase its investment amount for

UK’s cabinet today agreed to new post-Brexit immigration rules that will make it easier for highly-skilled people to move to UK next year through a points-based system. The new system would decrease immigration numbers overall

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has today agreed to update and broaden the conditions for holders of Subclass 417 and 462 Working Holiday Maker visas to allow them to help in the bushfire recovery without

Contrary to what has been widely disseminated in international news, the Portuguese Golden Visa program is changing, but it’s not over. Portugal remains one of the most wanted destinations in the world both for tourism

The Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body Moneyval today released a report where it urged Cyprus to increase its process to prevent money laundering from criminal proceeds generated outside of Cyprus. Moneyval points out the

A missing clause in Cyprus’ citizenship-by-investment law has temporarily stalled the process of revoking passports from the 26 people whose applications were deemed flawed after authorities conducted retroactive due diligence on pre-2018 CIP applicants. The

IMF is encouraging St Kitts and Nevis to “cautiously piloting a digital currency” as part of its adopted Virtual Assets Bill. The move will pave the way for easier transfer of funds for the island’s

Portugal’s parliament has approved a measure in their budget that limits the issuance of golden visas for real estate investments in Lisbon and Porto as well as along the populated coastline. However, golden visas will

After more than three years of fierce negotiations in Brussels and political debate in the United Kingdom, Brexit has now become a reality. Without a doubt, it will redefine how Britain trades with the EU

St. Kitts and Nevis plans to increase its due diligence process this year by making biometric checks mandatory for each CBI applicant. The added measure was announced by Prime Minister Timothy Harris during his annual

Antigua and Barbuda is the latest country to close its borders for Chinese travelers today in response to the coronavirus. The Caribbean islands follow many of China’s neighboring nations, Russia, Singapore, North Korea and Vietnam

The Republic of Estonia, which is known for its innovative E-residency program, has announced plans to launch a digital nomad visa. The visa would allow people who work remotely while traveling to various countries, to

In response to the coronavirus, Vanuatu’s Immigration and Passport Services has announced it is banning its officers from traveling to all Asian countries to deliver passports. Passports will only be delivered to Australia, New Zealand,

As Brexit is happening today, UK has said it will let the 3.5 million EU citizens already living in the UK stay as long as they register with the EU settlement scheme. However, after UK’s

Portugal is underway launching a new measure to encourage investment, technology and innovation under the National Entrepreneurship Strategy. It is taking the first steps towards implementing an “E-residency” program to attract foreign entrepreneurs. The digital

Ireland, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of citizenship applications because of Brexit, has updated its naturalization application forms online. Applications submitted on old forms will be returned.

To attract business presence and employment opportunities, Singapore is making changes to its Global Investor Program by offering permanent residency to next-gen business owners, founders of fast-growing companies and family office executives as of March

Brandon in Manitoba is the most recent community to open applications in Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program this week. It joins the areas of Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Altona/Rhineland in Manitoba.

In light of Brexit, UK is launching a fast-track Global Talent visa program on Feb. 20 to attract top scientists, researchers and mathematicians to the country. The program, which is replacing the Tier 1 (Exceptional

As of today, Iranian nationals are no longer eligible for the E-1 and E-2 visas to live in the U.S. while engaging in international trade or investing into a U.S. business. The action follows the

Ireland’s Immigrant Investor Program has announced that it will only accept applications between Feb. 17-21, April 20-24, June 22-26, Aug. 31- Sept. 4, and Oct. 26-30 in 2020. Applicants should also be aware that Ireland

Canada has issued 3,400 invitations to apply for permanent residence to the highest-ranking foreign applicants in its second Express Entry draw this year on Jan. 22. Canada’s points-based immigration system ranks candidates based on skills,

Hong Kong  Oct. 19, 2019  The luxurious Kwoloon Shangri-la hotel was packed with local investors, migration agents, immigration professionals and project developers as Uglobal Immigration Magazine’s inaugural expo in Hong Kong took place on Oct. 19, 2019.  Hosted

With the United States’ EB-5 program fees nearly doubling to $900,000, certain processing times topping 14 years and now the Quebec investor program being suspended, options for those looking to live and work in North America are limited.

For those who want to work, set up a business or retire in Italy, there are several visa options available. Italy is one of the top tourist destinations, famous for its design, fashion and lifestyle but also for being the world’s 12th largest economy, eighth largest manufacturing

Australia is a land of sunshine, blue skies, sandy beaches and seemingly endless economic growth. No wonder it is such a popular destination for so many people and frequently featured as one of the best countries

Express Entry (EE) is Canada’s point-based online application system for skilled immigrants and is typically the quickest route to permanent residency (PR). This system is used for immigration to all Canadian provinces, excluding Quebec, and all three territories. Applicants create an online profile and are entered into the EE pool as they wait for

Cyprus is and has been a place where people from both Europe and Asia have emigrated to for centuries. Cypriots themselves are not strangers to the concept of immigration either. In the beginning of the 19th century, the harsh economic conditions at the

Malta’s colorful history and enviable climate promise just under 12 hours of sunshine a day in the summer and just over six hours of sunshine a day in the winter. Nevertheless, Malta can be viewed as much

By Fang Tian, Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff Sally Zeng, a Chinese native who moved to Greece three years ago through the Golden Visa program, got a reality check when visiting a friend in Shanghai recently. A much-anticipated get-together ended up being cut short after only half an

In a world of increasingly rapid technological, social, and environmental change, the subject of immigration, passports and citizenship finds itself in something of a time warp. We live in an era in which many people’s understanding of citizenship is antiquated at best and

By Marie Ekberg Padilla, Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff Why did you choose to go with Dominica?   When I initially started researching, the first option that popped up was moving somewhere else and uprooting my life. But

For the past years, the tourism sector has been growing, bringing millions of tourists from all around the world to Portugal and making the economy grow at an impressive rate. In 2019, Portugal has won 39 awards

As a member State of the European Union, Greece is the largest economy in the Balkan area and one of the most popular tourism destinations worldwide. It is estimated that 33 million visitors travelled to Greece in

The Cyprus Investment Program (CIP) has been revised several times since the date of its launch back in 2011. While going through several amendments, the program has gradually become more efficient and consequently more attractive to

With lowered investment amounts, Turkey’s program is increasingly attracting investors from China. The program offers a great opportunity to foreign investors who wish to obtain citizenship for themselves and their families. The purchase of a property valued at

The government of Montenegro started to accept applications for its citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program in October of 2019, limiting it to the first 2,000 foreigners. In exchange for investments over the next three years to help accelerate the

By Nadine Goldfoot Brexit has been delayed for a third time, now until Jan. 31, 2020 unless the Withdrawal Agreement can be ratified before then. Given the continued possibility of a no-deal crash out, individuals are

There have recently been important changes to the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP). This residency-by-investment program, which is one of the oldest residency-by-investment (RBI) programs, is now more expensive, and the submission period was just extended. But is the extension of the program coupled with a risk

By Aykut Elseven  As a popular immigration destination, there are few countries as liberal as Germany when it comes to the purchase of real estate by foreigners. Both a person and legal entities, from any origin or citizenship, are permitted to acquire German real

By Christopher Willis The opportunity to acquire a second citizenship via one of the five Caribbean citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs is becoming increasingly popular and the concept more mainstream. The programs have many similarities but also their own unique differences.   To start, it is important to emphasize the difference between

By John Richardson  Before acquiring your second citizenship or permanent resident visa, it is imperative that you consider how your particular citizenship or residency could affect your taxes. Taxes are an important determinant of your financial security. There are steps you can follow to be

By Juerg Steffen  With Asian countries rapidly expanding their global influence and reach, building networks and connections across Europe and beyond, definitions of “East meets West” are changing and evolving. Where once the term referred to interactions

By Fang Tian, Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff  When Cecillia Cheah was running her automotive lubricant manufacturing company with her husband in Malaysia, she was working most of the time. She barely had time for her three daughters, and when the eldest of them left Malaysia to attend college in the U.K., Cheah realized that she had missed out on

Uglobal Immigration Magazine is proud to recognize the global investment migration industry’s most influential and powerful leaders with the distinguished Top 50 Global Migration Agency CEOs Award. Nominees were evaluated based on their industry experience,

By Nada Starovlah  What are the benefits Cyprus offers to investors and their families? How can investors achieve Cyprus citizenship through investment? Also, learn what changes the government recently has done to the country’s citizenship-by-investment program.  Advantages of investing in Cyprus   Cyprus is a popular tourist, business, education and retirement destination. It is

By Trúc Nguyễn (Gigi)  A “Golden Visa” is a permanent resident visa issued to an individual and their family through an investment, often a purchase of property, into the issuing country. The term Golden Visa applies to programs available within Europe, specifically the European Union (EU). These visas can lead to more permanency residency and even citizenship of the

By James Alan Hall  What would your ideal place to live in be like? Clean and beautiful, open spaces with low population density to give you personal space and your family room to grow? A metropolitan city with a climate that’s mild

By H. Ronald Klasko and Patrick Findaro  You are a citizen of China. You do not own and manage a large company in your country and do not plan on owning and managing a large company in the U.S.

By Alessia Ajelli  Less than two years ago, following the path of other EU countries, Italy introduced a new visa and residence permit category called the investor visa. This new visa is available to non-EU investors who are seeking to enter Italy and carry out an investment

By Marcos Kraemer  There are numerous reasons individuals consider residency abroad or obtain a second passport from a foreign country. Many people who are looking to expand their global footprint seek out the right visa program from the right country. Programs are evaluated

By Hussain Farooq  A passport is the most common form of travel document for international travel, but is it merely a travel document or do some of the inherent properties of the small booklet make it an asset?  Anyone travelling overseas needs to be in possession of a valid passport. A passport

Turkey is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe with its foreign trade volume exceeding $391 billion annually. From 1999 until 2019, GDP Annual Growth Rate in Turkey2 averaged 4.64 %. Turkey’s biggest trade partners are Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, UAE, China, France and the Netherlands respectively. With Germany alone, Turkey’s trade volume reaches over $21.3

Uglobal Immigration Magazine hosted its Dubai conference on Feb. 10 and 11 before a packed audience comprised of more than 600 professionals who came to hear topical panels, meet investors and network. Dubai has emerged as the world’s fifth

Uglobal Immigration Magazine returned to Vietnam in March to host another successful conference within one of the world’s most in-demand residency-by-investment and second passport markets.  The Uglobal Immigration Expo took place at the prestigious Park Hyatt Saigon. The distinguished crowd included a prestigious

By Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff  Uglobal Immigration Magazine hosted a successful conference in Shanghai, amid the strong Chinese market demand for second passports and residency-by-investment programs.   The March 18 Uglobal Immigration Expo unfolded at the Portman Ritz-Carlton before a who’s who crowd of renowned

Uglobal Immigration Magazine returned to Mumbai, India, this spring for a successful conference that assembled a who’s who crowd in one of the world’s most in-demand investment immigration markets. Nearly 400 attendees came to the June

By Mary Tsiganou   The Greek Golden Visa investment program has faced many developments, challenges and, most importantly, growth over the recent few years. With the ever-increasing popularity of Greece as an investment destination, the number of issued Golden Visas has skyrocketed to more than 4,150 investors as of January 2019. If including the investors’ family members, that

By Kenneth Camilleri  A mixture of cultural history has molded the island of Malta’s identity. The Mediterranean nation continues to attract new cultures with its residency and citizenship programs. As a member of the European Union, the Schengen Area and the Commonwealth of Nations, the

By James Alan Hall  Migrants from Asian countries, especially fast-growing economies like Vietnam, have always had a strong passion for real estate. There is a strategy that allows residential property to become part of the journey for migration

By Moustafa Daly Turkey’s citizenship by investment program might soon change its real investment threshold again. Initially launched with a threshold of $1 million in 2017, the program reduced it to $250,000 and then rose to $400,000 in

By Alexandros Karakitis  Greece’s golden visa, or residence by investment program, is growing stronger. Since its launch in 2013, the number of property residence approvals, has exceeded 3,000 and the number of people who benefited by the program,

By Marie Ekberg Padilla,  EB5 Investors Magazine  Investment migration pioneer Christian Kälin, the founder of Henley & Partners, knows about global migration first hand. After growing up in Switzerland, where he graduated from a local business school, he decided to explore the world by studying and live in France, United States, New

By Emilio Cornejo Vernaza  Since 2008, due to an update in Panama’s immigration laws and regulations, the country experienced a significant increase in international investment in real estate. The growth in the construction and property sector was motivated not only by its tax system, its

By Fang Tian, Uglobal Immigration Magazine  Living in Nanjing, one of the most populated megacities in China with soaring prices and terrible traffic, Leo Lin felt exhausted. The 42-year-old marketing director longed for a change. He dreamed of living somewhere with a

By Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff  With the number of EB-5 visas to Indian investors having more than tripled over the past five years, EB5 Investors Magazine and Uglobal Immigration Magazine hosted the largest EB-5 and global immigration expo in India on Oct. 6 for a

By Uglobal Immigration Magazine Staff   As the number of high net worth individuals and EB-5 investors stays strong in South Korea, EB5 Investors Magazine and Uglobal Immigration Magazine brought their long-standing industry knowledge to the South Korean market on Sept. 12.  The Sept. 12 expo in Seoul,

By Nadine Goldfoot   Heading towards 2019, there is a rejuvenated approach to investor migration with an increased interest in entrepreneur options from both applicants and governments alike, with governments looking to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in new trading climates. What

By Henan Zhang  The UK Home Office launched the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Scheme in 2008 to attract those overseas talents wishing to set up or invest in new or established companies in the United Kingdom. After nearly a decade, more than 6,000

By Marco Mazzeschi   In addition of being the third largest economy in Europe and the eighth in the world, Italy is a member state of the European Union, a single market with no borders and the home of about 500 million people.

By Sara Sousa Rebolo Portugal is a country bordering the Atlantic Ocean, independent since 1143, currently with about 11 million inhabitants. The Portuguese Empire was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history, existing for almost 600 years. With that comes the expression “there is

By Lisa De Leon  Both of Australia’s visa categories of the 188 Signficant Investor visa (SIV) and 132 Business Talent visa involve the investment of funds either into complying investments or by establishing a new or existing business. They also include venture capital components and advantages and disadvantages to business owners overseas. Despite

Cyprus real estate industry has recently come through some turbulent times. The country’s former financial crisis aside, robust property development companies have successfully ridden what was, in effect, a global property recession. The great news is that some

Dory Jade is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants, a 2000-member strong organization advocating for the legal framework and culture of the industry. Jade, who has been a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant for over

During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when many industries suffered business stagnation and breakdown in Mainland China, the real estate investment industry became one of the few areas that survived the economy avalanche.   Visionary real estate developers successfully navigated through the deflationary spiral and achieved

As a European expat in the UAE, it is very important for my business and also for my family to have the opportunity to travel wherever I want with no restrictions. And as a father, giving my children the opportunity to study abroad and guaranteeing them the

As the leader of the Republic of Malta, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took office in 2013 and helped direct the Mediterranean island’s launch of its Malta Individual Investor Program (MIIP) in 2014.The program, which Muscat describes as “the Ferrari of this world’s programs,” is the first investment

Unlike the finite nature of luxury goods, acquiring another passport is undeniably an investment for the ages. Such an action cannot really be overestimated, as the true worth of this investment can span across several generations. Indeed, while the major

As the leader of the Republic of Malta, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took office in 2013 and helped direct the Mediterranean island’s launch of its Malta Individual Investor Program (MIIP) in 2014.The program, which Muscat describes as “the Ferrari of this world’s programs,” is the first investment

One consequence of global unrest is an increase in global migration. There are now more than 258 million people living in a country other than their country of birth, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This is an increase of

The wealthy face at least three critical decisions in a volatile world facing varying national conditions, including in which countries they wish to reside, in what nations and jurisdictions they want to place their assets and how to allocate their wealth among different assets such as company shares,

Since becoming a member of the European Union in 2004 and of the Eurozone in 2008, Malta has become a jurisdiction of choice both for businesses and private individuals. Malta adopts a business friendly approach, as part of a well regulated

Following the global financial crisis, in its effort to improve economic diplomacy and to encourage foreign investment, Portugal launched its residency permit for investment program/golden visa residency program for non-E.U. and non-EEE citizens on Oct. 8, 2012. By the end of March 2018, the country had issued 6,050 residency permits in exchange for investment and another

The two main Australian business visa subclasses are the 132 business talent visa and the 188 business innovation and investment visa.   132 Business Talent Visa   The 132 business talent visa has two streams. The first is the significant business history stream. This includes high-level business owners who want to undertake significant business

St. Kitts and Nevis cuts real estate minimum investment amount  The Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, which has the oldest citizenship-by-investment program in the world, has cut its minimum real estate investment amount in half. To obtain

By Uglobal Staff Ireland’s immigrant investor scheme witnessed a large increase in applications in 2016, with 329 applicants from 16 countries applying for residency by investment in the country. Approximately 313 were from China, according to figures

By Uglobal Staff Saint Lucia’s citizenship by investment program saw a surge in applications in 2017, thanks to the government’s decision to reduce the cost of donation-based individual applications from $200,000 to $100,000 at the start of

By Uglobal Staff Cape Verde. Belize. Dominica. Grenada. St. Kitts and Nevis. Ireland. Canada. United Kingdom. Eight passports in all – and the most citizenships attorney David S. Lesperance of Canada-based Lesperance & Associates has ever seen

By Uglobal Staff Applicants for Jersey’s High Value Residents program will face increased costs this year, after the Channel Island raised the minimum income tax payment for HVRs from 125,000 pounds ($175,200) to 145,000 pounds ($203,232), and

By Uglobal Staff The United Kingdom’s controversial decision to leave the European Union made headlines around the world, but what some see as a mistake, could create new opportunities for others. Among them, those looking to become

By Uglobal Staff Antigua and Barbuda was rated one of the Caribbean’s best citizen by investment program in  2017, but tough regional competition has the twin islands struggling to stay on top. Antigua’s CBI program has given

By Uglobal Staff The two-island Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is known for its touristy beaches and sunny climate. But it’s also home to the world’s longest running citizenship-by-investment program, since 1984. Ranked number six

Location, location, location. That’s just one thing Belgium has going for it when it comes to attracting foreign investors, immigration experts say.

By Uglobal Staff To those looking for a second residency, Panama is kind of like the girl or guy next door – close by, familiar, and easy to like. The Central American nation has been successful for

By Uglobal Staff In a country where sheep outnumber people six to one, New Zealand’s wide-open spaces, natural beauty, and quality of life are among its many lures. The country also has a thriving business environment. New

By Uglobal Staff Britain’s legal system, with its flowery language, red robes, and powdered wigs, can seem somewhat comical to outsiders — or baroque and downright confusing to those seeking to navigate it. When it comes to

By Uglobal Staff Germany is the world’s fourth largest economy and one of the world’s leading exporters. With 469 billion euros in foreign direct investment (FDI), Germany is one of the top regions for foreign investors. “Germany

By Uglobal Staff As an oil-based economy and one of the richest countries in the world, the United Arab Emirates is recognized as a powerful economic hub in the Middle East. Made up of seven emirates –

By Uglobal Staff Australian Angela Julian-Armitage has been a practicing Barrister-at-Law for 23 years and serves as the National President of the Migration Institute of Australia. She is skilled in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Family Law, Succession and Migration Law.   “My passion has always been in Migration

By Uglobal Staff The prospect of living among the history and natural beauty of Greece holds a lot of appeal for those looking for a residency-by-investment opportunity. And that it’s the least expensive property program in Europe is

By Uglobal Staff Never mind the sun, the sea, and the celebrities: there’s one big reason that people move to Monaco.  “Oh, not paying any tax,” says Richard MacLellan, managing director of EBC Corporation, a Monaco company

By Uglobal Staff Even though New Zealand has made major changes to its Investor Categories visa, including doubling  its required investment amount from NZ$1.5 million to NZ$3 million, applications are still going strong.  Other changes include increasing the annual visa quota from 300 to 400 in May of 2017. The program also underwent adjustments to add incentives

By Uglobal Staff Schools are a big deal for immigration investors: a recent Huron Group report identified education as the top factor behind the emigration of Chinese HNWIs, with 76 percent citing schooling as a key reason they

By Uglobal Staff While the American EB-5 visa program entices international investors to the Unites States, the European golden visas are gaining attention over the last few years as they have been introduced across multiple countries in the European Union and Schengen Visa zones. These golden investor

By Uglobal Staff High net worth individuals looking to obtain citizenship in a second country based on investment have a wide array of options. However, before leaping into what rankings and other investors consider the “best” program, you first need to

By Uglobal Staff The Switzerland Residence Program (SRP) grants foreigners from non-European countries an opportunity to gain residency in a location many consider to be a dream destination.   Switzerland is heralded around the world for its high quality of living,

By Uglobal Staff Spain’s immigration investment program began in 2013 and offers investors an opportunity to obtain legal residence in Spain, with a Spanish golden visa.  Similar to golden visas in neighboring countries, an investor can include

By Uglobal Staff The clock is ticking for investors hoping to take advantage of Malta’s flagship citizenship-by-investment initiative, industry professionals say.   The Individual Investor Program, or IIP, which provides a Maltese passport in exchange for a 650,000-euro donation

By Uglobal Staff Foreign high-net-worth investors and entrepreneurs seeking an expedited path to residency and access to Europe now have the Italian investment immigration program to consider. The program seeks to bolster direct investment and startup business activity in the country. 

By Uglobal Staff One of the unusual visa programs that attracts entrepreneur investors to Australia is its Business Innovation Visa, which does not require an investment before the visa is granted.  The visa holder is required to engage in business

By Uglobal Staff Cyprus has launched a new Startup Visa scheme to draw innovative entrepreneurs to the island.  Despite much interest, so far only two entrepreneurs have  applied for the program, seven months after its launch, according to Zoe Andreou, audit officer of Directorate of Economic at the Ministry

By Uglobal Staff Lithuania, one of the three Baltic States in north-eastern Europe, has launched a startup visa in hope of attracting a new generation of non-EU entrepreneurs — and applications are being assessed not by an immigration officer, but

By Uglobal Staff Most of the world’s immigration investors come from China — but when it comes to getting a second passport, it’s the Middle East and North African investors that leads the pack.   China has eight times more

By Uglobal Staff Investors are still showing a strong interest in immigrating to the United Kingdom despite the upcoming Brexit, which has England on a course to leave the European Union by 2019 after a historic referendum last year. The event might put an end to the free movement and ability

By Uglobal Staff Cyprus has retooled its citizenship-by-investment scheme, reducing the cost to investors in a bid to continue the success of a program that has reportedly drawn more than 4 billion euros in new investment to Cyprus since

By Uglobal Staff Famous for its musical composers like Haydn and Mozart, its architecture and Alpine ski resorts, Austria is a country with many attributes situated in the heart of Europe. For investors, the country is ranked among the top residence and citizenship-by-investment programs in the world. And since the UK voted to leave

By Uglobal Staff The Czech Republic has launched a new investment visa to investors outside of the European Union. Compared to current visas offered by the country, the new investor visa is making it easier for family members of investors to join in the move and

By Uglobal Staff The competition for obtaining international talent is growing. The Baltic country of Estonia, the birthplace of Skype, has introduced two initiatives to attract that talent; the Estonia startup visa and e-residency. “Estonia is a

By Uglobal Staff Residence- and citizenship-by-investment programs have become a growing trend that wealthy investors can use to benefit from visa-free travel, quality of life and safety and security. Some countries in Eastern Europe have made their way into the world of investment immigration programs, with a few

By Uglobal Staff The Canadian province of Manitoba has announced that it is reorganizing its economic immigration program to establish new pathways to permanent residence for entrepreneurs.  Americans Jon and Karissa Warkentin are among the investors who have obtained

By Uglobal Staff French President Emmanuel Macron is wooing technology investors worldwide. Macron recently announced plans to transform France into a start-up nation with the launch of the “French Tech Visa” program which seeks to draw international

By Uglobal Staff Boasting some of the fastest internet speeds in the world and a capital often called the Paris of the North, Latvia has much to offer. The Baltic country is located in northern Europe and

By Uglobal Staff After a period of upheaval that culminated in a brief suspension in 2015, Portugal’s golden visa program is now getting back on track, according to data from the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF),

Uglobal is an education, networking and marketing platform for global investment and immigration. Divided into two segments, Immigration and Investment, Uglobal hopes to foster larger networking opportunities and a wider range of information from programs

By Uglobal Staff Since the Canadian government didn’t renew its Immigrant Investor Venture Capital pilot program, the available program in Canada is through the Quebec Immigrant Investment program (QIIP). Successful business owners/managers, who have assets of CA$1.6

By The China Investor Staff While some global Chinese outbound direct foreign investment may be facing headwinds, there are many bright spots for Chinese investors. Chinese outflow investments around the globe in 2015 topped $116

By Bill Nan Zhou Many Chinese investors seeking opportunities in U.S. real estate have been successful in other businesses in their home market. There is a tendency to rely on this past success, but it

By Henry Qin   Since Chinese insurer Anbang bought the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York less than three years ago, Chinese investors have been snapping up hotel real estate around the world, leaving footprints in global gateway cities and small European towns alike. However, many of them have never invested in hotels or

By Glenn R. Mueller   Many investors think about their house when asked about investing in real estate. This is a big misconception as the home they live in is a use asset, just like

By Hansi Men A fund, as defined in Merriam Webster, is “a sum of money or other resources whose principal or interest is set apart for a specific objective.”  Many clients, especially those with a

By David Lynn Over the last ten years, medical real estate has been one of the best performing real estate sectors during the peak and through economic cycles, backed by the robust growth of the

By Daniel B. Levine   In recent years, as Chinese outbound investments have accounted for a growing share of global mergers and acquisitions transactions, Chinese investors have become increasingly experienced and sophisticated dealmakers.  Chinese investors often have internal teams capable of conducting detailed due diligence and complex negotiations.  They engage leading financial, legal and public relations advisors.  They participate in high-profile

By Mark Drumm Over $66 billion in foreign capital was invested in the United States commercial real estate markets in 2016, according to Cushman Wakefield. Of this, the largest amount was invested by Chinese buyers

By Stephen Cheung More and more Chinese real estate companies call downtown Los Angeles home. In 2016, the City of Los Angeles secured 7 percent of all Chinese investment in American real estate, second only to

By Petra Blazkova New capital sources have emerged. Cross-border capital from China still seems to be flowing, Long-established Chinese mainland investors have maintained the tide directly or along alternative routes, with Hong Kong’s financial markets

Welcome to The China Investor’s blog. We look forward to keeping our community updated on Chinese global investment news, trends and practice-ready information.

What is Single Family Real Estate? Single family real estate is property that consists of only one unit, and thus will only have one family living in it. Single family real estate includes structures such

Commercial real estate is property that is used for business purposes. In other words, it is property owned with the purpose of producing income. Commercial real estate investors make money by leasing their space to

A “REIT” refers to a Real Estate Investment Trust, which is a type of security. The REIT is basically an investment vehicle that owns real estate that produces income. Such real estate is also known

Who are Wealth Managers? Wealth managers provide a variety of concierge financial services, mostly to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). For a fee, these services include such things as investment and financial advice,

What is the Basic Role of a Fund Manager? A fund manager makes investment management decisions for a particular fund. This can be a trust fund, mutual fund, hedge fund, or a pension fund. The

Commercial real estate is a booming industry. According to Real Capital Analytics, 2015 saw $533 billion in CRE sales in markets across the United States—up 23 percent from 2014. Newcomers to commercial real estate investing

With the United States economy outperforming many economies, including the Eurozone Area, the United Kingdom, Latin America, and Canada, the U.S. remains a favorable destination for business, investment, and residence. The U.S. housing market is

The United States is the world’s largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) for many reasons, but trust in its ability to protect people’s investments is key.   With the world’s largest consumer market, highly

Investing in Private Equity Firms With private equity investments earning nearly 12 percent in annualized returns from 2005 to 2015—nearly double the Standard & Poor’s 500 returns over those years—the popularity of private equity investments

In order to be well educated with respect to investments, it’s important to be familiar with certain terms that are used in various contexts related to the structure, composition or analysis of prospective investment opportunities.

What is Due Diligence? “Due diligence” is a term that has been used since at least the 15thcentury and came into broader usage with the passage of the United States’ Securities Act of 1933. A

Outside of the world of stocks, bonds, exchanged-traded funds and similar investments, a universe of alternative investments awaits today’s sophisticated investors. One of the most promising investment types, and one that has outperformed many other

It is with great pleasure I welcome you to the inaugural issue of The China Investor. The magazine is the print companion to The China Investor, a premier online resource community connecting its members to a

How non-resident Chinese investors can structure companies to be tax smart Learn what key factors to consider before investing in the U.S. real estate market. By Barry Wen and Lu Zhang Investing in a real

Investing in traditional Gateway Real Estate Markets vs. Up-and-Coming Markets Key factors foreign investors would want to consider when it comes to deciding where to invest in North America. By Christopher J. Wein For foreigners

The growing trend of hotel investment in the United States The American hotel industry continues to attract foreign investment with 90 percent of overseas capital coming from China. By Harry Pflueger Hotel investment in the

The pros and cons of real estate development opportunities Why international real estate continues to be a cornerstone of a solid investment strategy. By Chris Marlin Real estate has long been a cornerstone of all

Emerging directions in the Trump Administration’s China Trade Policy Trump and China.   Will there really be a trade war? By Mike Margolis and Matthew Thomas When Donald Trump was campaigning to succeed Barack Obama

Driving forces of the U.S. real estate market Learn what factors impact overseas real estate investments in North America. By Mickayla Zinsli Interest in the U.S. real estate market has increased in recent months, in

Interview with Siva Yam Siva Yam, President of the United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce, is sharing his insights about what we can expect from the trade and business relationship between China and America

China Towers amid the U.S. real estate landscape China’s international property investment has touched all-time highs, including more than $350 billion invested into U.S. real estate. By The China Investor Staff China Oceanwide Holdings Group is aiming

As explained in this article— “What is Commercial Real Estate?”—commercial real estate is property owned with the purpose of producing income. Commercial real estate investing generally involves greater start-up costs than residential real estate (such

Finding the right commercial real estate partner for foreign investors How foreign investors can benefit from teaming up with a partner who knows the local lay of the land. By Skip Whitney Since worldwide real