Citizenship By Investment Programs

Many countries worldwide offer programs that allow applicants to obtain residency or citizenship by investing in their country. There are numerous investment options, such as buying real estate, investing in government bonds, or donating to a specific fund. The investment requirements and fees associated with the investment vary depending on the chosen program/country.

Second citizenship has many benefits. One can access a safe and booming economy, preferred tax rates, business opportunities, exposure to global markets, visa-free travel to all parts of the world to you and your family members. Better quality of life, excellent, low-cost healthcare, and first-class education opportunities for your children

Every country has its specific requirements an applicant must fulfill to apply for citizenship or residency by investment programs. Some of the general recurring conditions are being over 18 years of age, having a clean criminal record, a legal source of funds, and investing in one of the government-approved options.

Generally, Citizenship by Investment programs does not require the investor to learn the language. On the other hand, Residency programs may require the applicant to meet minimum language criteria and pass a language test when applying for citizenship. Language requirements vary from country to country.

When choosing a program, there are several criteria to consider:

1. How quickly do you need a second passport? Citizenship by investment programs usually grants you a second passport in a reasonably short period.
2. Do you wish to move to another country or benefit from a second passport for travel or business/taxation reasons?
3. What is your family composition and dependents’ ages? Some countries set a cut-off age for dependents, which may be costly for older dependents as they will need to apply for citizenship as independent, single applicants.

Not all nationalities are eligible for all citizenship by investment programs. Some countries
ban certain nationalities from applying, while others allow them; in most cases, there is always a plausible solution even to the most complex situation. Residency programs are also an alternative; even though it is a much longer process, they will grant you the right to reside in the chosen country and enjoy the benefits of being a resident. Once you fulfill the residency requirements, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship.

The costs of applying for a second passport depend on several factors; country, program, family composition, an investment option in a given program, such as donation or real estate investment, etc. Generally, certain countries in the Caribbean islands offer more economical citizenship by investment programs starting at USD 100,000 for a single applicant.

Canada’s federal Immigrant Investor Program was terminated in 2014. Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is currently on hold. For the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program individuals were not required to establish or actively manage a business in the province.

Instead there are other business immigration programs to Canada such as Start-up Visa Program and Self-Employed Person Program.

You cannot buy Canadian permanent residence. However, there are some popular programs through which you can apply to immigrate to Canada and get your permanent residence status of Canada.

1. Express Entry program which includes Federal Skilled Worker program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
2. Business Immigration (Start-up Visa, Self-Employed Person Program)
3. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
4. Family Class Sponsorship

What is the fastest way to get Canadian citizenship?

In order to get Canadian citizenship, you must get your PR first. After residing in Canada for 1095 days within the past five years before submitting your citizenship application, you may qualify to get your Canadian citizenship provided meeting other requirements such as language, and knowledge test.

For the first step, Express Entry is considered as the fastest way to get your PR.

The following countries have the easiest pathways to obtain their citizenship:

Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Malta, Dominica and Portugal.

A Golden Visa usually refers to an immigration program which allows individuals with considerably high net worth to get a residence permit or in some cases citizenship in other countries by passive investments or purchasing a property.

However, Canada does not have such Golden Visa or passive investment at the moment. The last active program was Quebec Immigration Investor Program which is on hold at the moment.

Instead, there are business immigration programs which are highly recommended, such as Self-Employed Person Program and Start-up Visa Program.