Today, more and more high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and their families are seeking second citizenships or permanent residencies in other countries, with 13% of respondents to a recent survey of HNWIs reporting plans to do so. Second passports and second residencies are valuable assets; they open up new investment markets (with better protections) and offer access to better healthcare, better educational opportunities for one’s children, a second place to split one’s time, and new places to retire. The easiest way to access these benefits is through an investment visa program. These programs provide investors with visas for permanent residency in exchange for their investment in that country’s economy. Typically there’s a minimum investment amount, with additional requirements the investor must fulfill. But the benefits are great—investors and their immediate families (usually spouse and dependents) gain new places to live, play, study, and work. Over 60 countries and jurisdictions offer such investor visas, including the US with its EB-5 visa, Portugal with its Golden Visa, and other countries such as Greece, Malta, Spain, Brazil, and more. Investment migration is a massive global industry, and the types of investments vary by country, but the purchase of real estate is the most popular. Alternative investments include purchasing government bonds or donating directly to the government, although these alternative investments offer little or no financial returns. That said, financial returns are not the main driver of immigrant investing—the main benefits are residency, travel mobility, and the ability to live in the country legally.
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