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Investment Visa Options: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and St Kitts & Nevis
September 2, 2016
Immigration through investment has become a popular option in recent years, for people looking to move to a new country without the employment restrictions that work permits can bring. Available in multiple countries throughout the world, investment programmes aim to balance economic growth for the host country while offering citizenship and/or residency benefits to investors and their families.
For our new series on immigration through investment, we start with four attractive countries in terms of immigration benefits and investment programmes.
Below we highlight some unique elements of the different criteria the selected countries offer as well as some ways in which these programs differ.
Analysis
As seen from the above table, the United Kingdom requires the biggest investment with £2 million required. On the contrary, the other three countries seek investment amounts of $1 million or less, depending on the specific investment project. Taking into consideration the pound-dollar exchange, the United Kingdom appears as the most expensive option initially. Nonetheless, it may be the preferred option due to the investment benefits and/or the type of investment that will be undertaken.
In relation to the investment conditions, these vary greatly even within the same investment programme. For example, Canada requires management experience and taking responsibility for at least two full-time staff, including control of financial resources and of human or material resources. On the other hand, United Kingdom permits several types of economic investment that do not require an active management. The selection of the investment option will depend on the circumstances of the applicant and the future plans he/she will have whilst in the country. In any case, all the funds used for obtaining the residence permits must come from lawful sources. Enough evidence to demonstrate this fact will be required for any application.
Finally, it is relevant to consider the personal circumstances when deciding the investment. Three of these countries require establishment of residence in the country for maintaining the visa. Therefore, even though the investment programme may look appealing to an applicant from an economical perspective, the consideration of the country as a place of living is highly important in the process of making the decision. These four countries allow dependents to accompany the main applicant and give access to obtaining citizenship and a national passport after a certain time of residence in the country. In consequence, deciding where to invest may have a great influence on the future lives of the applicant and his/her family.
If you would like assistance with an investor visa application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
