Citizenship of the tiny Caribbean island opens doors for investor visa.
The story about how hundreds of thousands of highly skilled Indians are stuck in unfathomably long lines for green cards is the stuff sappy immigrant movies should be made on.
But a few Indians who can afford to invest millions of dollars have found a quicker way to attain the coveted American permanent residency or the green card.
With reports of ever increasing wait time and backlog, affluent Indians looking at EB-5 or investor visa to the U.S. are now choosing to become Grenadian citizens instead, according to immigration lawyers.
Sounds strange, right? But the thing is that for some Indians a Grenadian citizenship actually works as the first step towards American residency.
RELATED: EB-5 visas: Here’s everything you need to know about immigrant investor visa program (April 18, 2019)
Immigration attorney, Mark Davies from Davies & Associates, LLC says his firm introduced the E2 treaty investor program to India about seven years ago.
E2 is a non-immigrant U.S. visa that allows nationals of treaty countries to set-up or operate an existing business in the U.S.
Now the problem is that Indians are not directly eligible for the E2 visa unless they are married to a qualifying national or are citizens of a treaty country. The solution is for an Indian national to first obtain the passport of an E2 qualifying country.
RELATED: Indians look for new route to US immigration as EB-5 visa investment jumps to $900,000 (November 21, 2019)
To begin with Indian clients with Australian or Canadian passports who were frustrated with poor business environments there began to apply for the E2 visa in low numbers. But obtaining an Australian or Canadian passport can take up even a decade or more.
“A solution came to this problem when in 2013, Grenada, an island nation in the Caribbean, revised its nationality by investment program,” Davies said.
This resulted in Indian clients obtaining Grenadian citizenship by donating either $150,000 for an individual or $200,000 for a family to the Government of Grenada, he said.
Earlier this year investment requirement for Grenada citizenship was reduced for the real estate investment option from $350,000 to $220,000.
RELATED: As EB-5 investor visa fee increases, a spurt in I-526 filings from India likely in next four months (August 1, 2019)
“Yet further recent changes in 2019 allowed Indian nationals to file one Grenadian naturalization application covering themselves, their spouse, unmarried siblings and dependent parents and grandparents,” Davies said.
“Needless to say, 2019 has become an extremely busy year for the program.” he said.
When Indians with a new nationality obtain an E2 visa, they will not show-up in the India E2 visa count. Rather they will show-up in their new country of nationality such as Grenada, Turkey, Canada or Australia.
Grenada citizenship has become attractive for Indians for other reasons too. For one Indians can obtain a new passport within four months entitling them to visa free travel to 127 countries including Europe, UK, Russia and China.
If you thought that was great, wait there’s more — there can be very significant tax savings too for Indian applicants.
RELATED: Indian EB-5 hopefuls face a 260% increase in Targeted Employment Area projects (July 29, 2019)
“We have filed for U.S. E2 visas based upon a client obtaining Grenadian Citizenship by investment and to-date all of these applications have been successful,” Davies said.
The idea is catching up with Indians, he says and with each successful application comes another flurry of Indian investors keen to obtain a Grenadian passport and a U.S. E2 visa.
17 Comments
Do you really think your Banana republic Grenada will be able to survive without these kind of investments. It’s a fucking shithole hurricane prone island, it can go under anyday. Your whole country’s total gdp will be equivalent to a tiny company of India.
Filthy? Have you seen India? Wow, they are among the worst, and Africans are way more sanitary about certain things, if you know what I mean. Compared to Dominicans, countless Indians live like roaches in their homes, and the bred-in Brit-Indians share plates with their pets, kissing them in the mouth, so please please be quiet!
I don’t which India you have seen, but eating food in same plates with their pets in something which is very Popular in America as well. You are one of those, who are OK with destroying an entire civilization and prosper on the dead bodies of other civilizations. Roches you call Indians, then why did your fucking forefathers came to the country of roaches, is it to eat their shit first and than take advantage of their hospitality and backstab the entire civilization and eat dead bodies to live. You are no better than a vulture, who survive on the flesh of the dead bodies. Calling your self a self proclaimed sophisticated person.
Good. Lazy black people sit and drink and beat up their women. Wherever you see blacks like these Africans/Grenadians you see high crime. US had the right idea, slavery is the only whip that works for blacks like these lazy filthy and uneducated blacks/Africans. They don’t study, or go to school and the only know crime.
Keep them out. Don’t be fooled they are still racist as ever.. they are now working with the Chinese… it will be the end of Grenada as we know it. Believe it or not. Time will tell
Horrible people these Indians. Everywhere they go try to cheat others. Even in S. Africa, Angola, Nigeria, Kenya they are known for that. Local merchants complain. Indians lying and cheating on price. Taking the poor African people for a ride. Don’t trust them, most are like snakes. Once they corner you, your money is gone. No country wants them as residents or citizens. Take my word.
Better than the greedy uneducated filthy blacks/africans
Then why thr fuck you black asses come to india keep your dirty face and shit in your country where no one even wants to spit
hate these damn indians they respect no one and think that they can do as they please here in grenada but only the stupid on are playing like they can’t see or understand whats going on here get rid of the existing prime minister and give someone else a chance to make grenada what it suppose to be everywhere you go you can see see an indian or syrian here and in the school system they don’t respect the laws i had a problem with one of there kids bullying my 8 yr old and when i confronted them about the situation they were not pleased so a lilltle while after me and my family went to the city and i walked into the same people store and didn’t realise so i turned around and there the mister was looking at me like he was ready to do something so i took my family and left never said a word not knowing that they live not even a quarter mile from where i live
I’m a Grenadian and I don’t understand the government . It’s good people want to invest in the island but I see this as an invading Indians .
These people don’t like black people keith Mitchell you should be ashamed of yourself greed that’s count
Can always count on the locusts that are Indians to find every which shortcut and loophole possible to force their way into America.
They’re also equally desperate to go to Canada, Australia/New Zealand and European countries. They just want to get the hell out of india, which they consider a hellhole to live in obviously. And while doing so they freely import their bad habits and caste prejudices with them to the host countries. Ergo, all these places have insular “indian communities” that have taken over corporate workplaces, invaded entire neighborhoods and made a mess of big and small town culture. No one wants them in their country.
wish they all can leave my little island
Indians need to appreciate the local culture wherever they go and not export their caste too to their country of residence. It is true that they are very racist too.
It’s kinda weird how this is coming from you, you twat. Your name makes you sound like you have Indian ancestry. That means, your bloody relatives are also a part of the ‘assholes’ who want to get the help out of India. Secondly, this brings money to this little shirt bankrupt island of yours, which quite evidently can’t survive on its own.
This is either fake news or a major loophole. Obtaining a new nationality will not make it easier for you as EB-2 is based on country of birth. indian born desis in Canada or UK still count as Indian nationals for Green cards
Need more information about the Grenadian passport