Latest / IMI Podcasts / This Week in IM - Aug 14: 🌴 Carib5 Enact Regional Accord, 🇬🇧 IMI Pros Roast Tax Policy, 🇳🇷 Approves 1st CIP Application, ++

Transcript

This Week in IM - Aug 14: 🌴 Carib5 Enact Regional Accord, 🇬🇧 IMI Pros Roast Tax Policy, 🇳🇷 Approves 1st CIP Application, ++ · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening to IMI This Week.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Nauru has granted its first citizenship by investment approval to a German family of four under the NECRCP program.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Program CEO Edward Clark confirmed the application process took under four months.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: The launch comes as other nations, including Argentina, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, and Sao Tome and Principe, also expand into the investment migration space.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: The UK is facing an accelerating exodus of wealthy company directors following the Labour Party's October 2024 abolition of the non-domiciled tax regime.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Data shows a 40% jump in millionaire departures from the previous year.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pro Jimmy Sexton warns that a wealth tax could worsen the situation, while IMI Pro Marco Messina notes many still operate UK businesses from abroad.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Portugal's Constitutional Court ruled that golden visa investors can continue enjoying family reunification rights, while it struck down broader restrictions for most immigrants.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: President Marcelo Rabello de Sousa vetoed the law after requesting the review, sending it back to Parliament.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pro Sarasusa Rebolo hailed the decision as a win for the investment migration industry, recognizing the program's economic value.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Restructured in June 2024, Malaysia's revamped Malaysia, My Second Home, also known as MM2H program, has generated 840 million ringgit, or 196 million US dollars, in inflows by June 2025.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: The reforms, which included removing income requirements and lowering deposit thresholds, have driven applications.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pro Hannah Ma emphasized the appeal of the reduced threshold in the SEZ category and the program's flexibility.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Japan will raise the business manager visa's financial threshold to 30 million yen and lower the staff requirement to one full-time employee.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: The Justice Minister has pushed for the reform after the July arrest of a Sri Lankan national for allegedly running a network of dummy companies.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pro Siren Chen says the program will remain attractive thanks to its flexibility.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: All five Eastern Caribbean nations with citizenship by investment programs will enact legislation in September to establish the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority, referred to as ECCIRA.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: IMI pros, Patrick Peters and Kevin Hosom, highlight both the potential credibility boost and the risk of delays if all five parliaments do not ratify on time.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: ECCIRA will introduce a 30-day residency requirement, standardize due diligence, enforce penalties, and share biometric data.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pros, Nick Stevens, Serhan ISiver, and Gokshi Emer share contrasting views on the Caribbean 5's proposed 30-day residency requirement.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Stevens supports the change as a program credibility booster.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: ISiver warns it could reduce appeal by complicating the process for time-sensitive clients.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: Finally, Emer sees increased legitimacy and risk of losing the low-cost, hands-off advantage.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: All three agree the rule may shift demand toward real estate investments.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: A U.S.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: court has ruled that EB5 investors who applied after the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act, also known as RIA, need to keep their capital at risk for two years, starting when the funds are deployed.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: The decision rejects IOU's challenge and contrasts with pre-RIA rules, which start the sustainment period after conditional residency.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: IMI Pro.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Christina Tobacco welcomes the outcome as predictable and beneficial, particularly for applicants from backlogged countries.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us today on IMI Podcasts.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Subscribe for free to the IMI daily newsletter for breaking news and updates from the investment migration industry, and consider upgrading your membership to IMI Pro to get access to our exclusive professional community, industry events, data, and members only content.