Indian investors looking for citizenship in a first world country via an emerging market have spiked lately
As the changing world order presents its own challenges and metamorphosis, worldly investors are looking at destinations that enable them to choose a second citizenship.
The demand for alternate citizenship continues to grow driven by both fulfilling personal and familial needs of a better, less polluted, peaceful lifestyle as well as economic parameters like prospects of setting up businesses in emerging markets.
Read: What the future looks like for citizenship by investment (August 25, 2022)
The possibility of finding a route to citizenship in a first world country via an emerging market offering citizenship by investment has also seen a spike among Indian investors lately. But what are the major contributing factors that go on to make a country a probable choice for alternate citizenship?
The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Index is a a reliable analysis of reputable programs that will enable serious investors to choose second citizenship in destinations that will fulfill their needs. The CBI Index rates CBI programs according various pillars such as:
Freedom of Movement: Measures the relative strength of a country’s citizenship based on three equally weighted factors: number of destinations its passport allows travel without restriction, the number of prime business hubs to which it provides access, and the degree to which it provides settlement rights in other nations.
Standard of Living: A measure of the quality of life offered, this pillar is vital to those who yearn to relocate and secure a prosperous and fulfilling lifestyle. Similarly, it is key to those wanting to take advantage of local business opportunities or needing to transfer and safeguard their assets.
Minimum Investment Outlay: Measures one of the most practical and foremost considerations of CBI – how much capital is required for the investor to become an eligible applicant for the program of their choosing.
Read: US reopens investment route for green cards (March 15, 2022)
The cost of applying for CBI increases with the number of dependents — or qualifying family members — included in an application. In some jurisdictions this increase is proportional, while in others the cost only increases following the inclusion of multiple dependents.
Mandatory Travel or Residence: This examines the travel or residence conditions imposed on applicants both before and after the granting of citizenship.
Citizenship Timeline: Looks at the average time taken for citizenship to be secured by the applicant.
Ease of Processing: Measures the end-to-end complexity of the CBI application process. In some jurisdictions, the application process can be a labor-intensive and painstaking task that is time-consuming for the applicant; in others, it is streamlined, and the applicant receives clear directives on how to proceed.
The overall effortlessness of the application process is a particularly important component, and the promise of a smooth, hassle-free process can generate readiness to engage with a program.
Due Diligence: Focuses on each nation’s commitment to ensuring that their program remains transparent and effective at evaluating potential candidates for citizenship. It is therefore a measure of each program’s integrity.
The Family: Determines the extent to which investors can obtain citizenship for their immediate and extended family. The CBI Index recognizes that the rise of increasingly complex family relationships is driving investors to seek programs that allow for a more diverse range of family members to be included under a primary application.
Read: Top 10 Factors to Consider When Selecting a Dual Citizenship (November 14, 2018)
Certainty of Product: Encompasses a range of factors that measure a program’s certainty across five different dimensions: longevity, popularity and renown, stability, reputation and adaptability.
Additionally, it assesses a program’s responsiveness to major global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that have had a significant impact on global mobility and due diligence requirements.