Matthew Green - Head of Citizenship & Residency

This certainly matches with the trends we are seeing with more and more American citizens looking for options overseas

Wealthy Americans are quietly buying their way out of US with ‘golden’ visa programs America’s elite are using “golden” visa programs to reside in more desirable locations across the globe.

Argentina is soon to launch a new Citizen by Investment program and become the strongest passport you can obtain through financial means. Whilst details are yet to be announced some of the industries prominent figures have been thinking about how they would structure it given the chance

$500k Threshold “Fair and Competitive”: Specialists on How They Would Design Argentina’s CBI Program - IMI Daily As Argentina's category-defining CBI program takes shape, three renowned experts weigh in on how to design it for maximum impact and benefit.

One of the many reasons people choose Portugal as their retirment destination is the sense of security they get living there, so it's no surprise to see it feature so highly on this list

Portugal | One of the most peaceful countries in the world - Global Peace Index Portugal has once again reaffirmed its global reputation for safety and stability, securing the 7th position in the 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI), released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). The ranking evaluates

A great article from our friends at Portugal Panorama looking at what is driving US citizens to the Golden Visa program

Portugal Golden Visa for US Citizens: Why It’s the Smart Play in 2025 - Portugal Panorama Learn why Portugal’s Golden Visa is the top choice for American investors in 2025. Discover tax benefits, capital protections, and citizenship pathways.

A huge increase in Turkish investors looking for real estate based immigration programs

Turkish Investors Flock to UAE and Greece as Overseas Real Estate Purchases Surge by 20% Turkish investors significantly boosted their overseas real estate investments in 2024, with the UAE and Greece emerging as top destinations. The total amount spent on foreign property rose by 20.5%, reaching $2.513 billion. This surge is driven by attractive golden visa programs, favorable investme...

I’m not going to write anything about the EB-5 news that hasn’t already been covered at length in the media over the past week. However, President Trump’s announcement reinforced a conversation I have with all my clients considering citizenship and residency by investment programs.

Recent history shows a clear trend: programs are becoming more restrictive in what you can invest in (Portugal), increasing in price (Greece, Caribbean nations), or simply closing altogether (Spain).

I can’t think of a single client who regrets going through with a program—but I can think of many who have serious regrets about not doing so.
Those who nearly secured Portuguese residency with a €280,000 property now find it hard to justify joining the same program at €500,000. Imagine revisiting a Caribbean citizenship program only to find the required donation has doubled since last year.

That conversation I mentioned? When you find a program that aligns with your global mobility goals and the financials make sense, don’t wait. Start the process before it changes, becomes more expensive, or disappears altogether.

The lawmakers responsible for the European Golden Visa programs were busy over the festive season, with a flurry of updates and changes being announced.

The biggest news comes from Spain, where the proposal to close the Golden Visa program has been written into law. The King signed the bill on January 3rd, and a transition period of three months was announced. For those currently in the process of applying, you have until April 3rd to complete your application. It’s crucial to ensure that your immigration consultant, lawyers, and property agents are all working towards this deadline. If you haven’t spoken to them yet this year, now is the time to do so.

In more welcome news, the authorities in Portugal have announced a series of measures aimed at clearing the backlog of applications awaiting biometric appointments. Much of the process has now been automated and can be completed online. While this is undoubtedly good news, it may also mean things will move much faster than you expected. In some cases, you may need to prepare new supporting documents. If you have an application that has been submitted but not yet approved, your legal representative in Portugal should have already contacted you. If not, you should reach out to them to determine whether any action is required on your part.

Greece changed its rules regarding what qualifies as a Golden Visa property back in August last year. Anyone who had placed a 10% deposit by that date had until December 31st to complete their purchase and still qualify under the previous regulations. This deadline has now been extended to February 28th of this year. Approximately 3,000 real estate purchases, totaling €750 million, were at risk of falling through because they would not have met the original deadline.

Hungary launched its Golden Visa program in the second half of last year with a single investment option: €250,000 into real estate funds. January 1st was expected to mark the introduction of a second option—investing €500,000 directly into real estate. However, just days before this was due to come into effect, the government reversed its decision and removed this option entirely.

If you’d like to discuss any investment migration programs and explore how they might work for you and your family, please don’t hesitate to drop me a message.

Interesting to see how the most popular nationalities taking part in Golden Visa programs are changing recently.

Greece Sees Significant Increase in Investments by UK, US & Israel Nationals Through Golden Visa Program The interest of Britons, Americans and Israelis to purchase properties in Greece through the Golden Visa Program has increased significantly in August this year, compared to the same month 2023 statistics. In the top list of countries whose citizens benefited the most from the Golden Visa Program of...

In only a few short years American have gone from making up a handful of applications to one of the top nationalities taking part in Portugal's golden visa program. This article looks into what is driving that growth

The Growing Trend of Second Residences and Citizenship Among Americans: Safety, Lifestyle, and Tax Considerations In recent years, there has been a notable rise in Americans seeking second residences and citizenships abroad, driven by a combination of factors related to safety, lifestyle, and tax optimization.

Like the idea of have a second passport but your country of birth doesn't permit holding dual citizenship? In the article below I explore some of the options still available to you.

How can Citizens of Countries that Restrict Dual Citizenship obtain Residency by Investment? Discover how programs like the U.S. EB-5 Visa and Portugal’s Golden Visa allow you to live abroad without renouncing your original nationality.