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Buying a Passport? Your Agent Will Make This Much $$$ · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: When you invest in another citizenship, how much does your agent actually make?
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Well, IMI has the data.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: The gap between the highest and lowest paying programs is at least$38,000 per client.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: That kind of spread changes which programs get pushed and which ones do not.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: In this video, we'll break down exactly how much governments pay agents so you're no longer in the dark about investment migration incentives.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Stay until the end to learn about the Citizenship by Investment Program with the lowest agent commissions.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Before we dive into the numbers, let me set some boundaries on what we're covering in this video.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: This analysis excludes real estate pathways, developer negotiations, property valuations, and regional market conditions create variable commission structures that defy standardization.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Turkey's program illustrates this complexity, where agents earn anywhere from 4 to 15% of property value, occasionally exceeding these benchmarks through markups.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Caribbean programs usually impose commission ceilings on developer-negotiated real estate deals, though tracking whether developers abide by them proves nearly impossible.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: So in this video, we're focused on contribution-based pathways, which maintain fixed agent fees across all approved intermediaries.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: These are the numbers we can actually verify.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: We're also only covering programs with publicly available commission information.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: That means we won't be mentioning El Salvador, Egypt, Samoa, or Jordan, either because their commission structures aren't public or because the programs don't generate enough market interest to warrant inclusion.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start at the tippy top.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: For every investor who contributes$250,000 minimum to the sustainable island state contribution, St.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis pays$50,000 per approved citizenship by investment client.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's the highest fixed commission globally.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Agents walk away with$50,000 per case.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Developers, not the government, pay commissions on public benefit options.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: These typically reach$60,000 to$70,000 per approved application.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Real estate investments start at$325,000 for resort shares and$600,000 for private homes, though these generate separate commission arrangements outside the contribution framework.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: So St.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts sits at the top, but there's a significant drop-off from there.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Vanuatu's citizenship by investment program called the Development Support Program pays$40,000 per approved application, generally split between international marketing agents and local agents based on their internal agreements.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Investment begins at US$130,000 for single applicants.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Vanuatu also runs a second program, the Capital Investment Immigration Plan, which requires an investment of$160,000, of which$50,000 is redeemable.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Commissions under the CIIP are based on agreements with fund managers and agents.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: From Vanuatu, let's head back to the Caribbean.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: St.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Lucia has a distinctive two-tier compensation model.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: National Economic Fund investment requirements begin at$240,000 for individuals or families of four.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Applications yield$35,000 for agents, but bond-based applications pay$30,000 in commissions, and investors have to provide$300,000 refundable after five years.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, same country, two pathways, two different commission structures.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Real estate pathways require an investment of$300,000 with a five-year holding period, while enterprise projects demand$3.5 million in infrastructure or research ventures.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Grenada's base commissions reach$30,000 per client, but can rise to$35,000 based on performance metrics.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Contribution requirements stand at$235,000 through the National Transformation Fund for single applicants or families of four.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Real estate options are split between one,$270,000 joint resort investments and two$350,000 sole ownership units.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Antiguan Barbuda pays agents$25,000 per approved National Development Fund application.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Single applicants or families of up to four members invest$230,000 minimum.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: The University of the West Indies Fund serves families of six or more at$260,000.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: Despite higher investment thresholds, agent compensation remains at$25,000.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Real estate investment thresholds begin at$300,000 in Antigua, while business investments require$1.5 million for sole ventures or$400,000 in joint arrangements.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Dominica does something completely different.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Agent earnings equal 10% of the total investment amounts.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: No fixed application applies, creating variable compensation tied directly to client contribution levels.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Economic diversification fund applications require$200,000 from single investors, generating$20,000 in agent fees at baseline.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: This percentage-based approach distinguishes Dominica from every other Caribbean program in the market, and this 10% does not apply to real estate investments, which start at$200,000.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Developers negotiate their commissions with marketing agents directly.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's look at the South Pacific in Africa, where commissions drop significantly.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: While Treasury fund donations require$105,000, making Nauru the most affordable South Pacific citizenship option, Nauru pays$25,000 in agent commissions per approved client.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sautome in Principe, Africa's newest program, has the lowest global entry point for single applicants, beginning at$90,000 through the National Transformation Fund.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: The unit pays agents$20,000 per approved application.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Blockchain-powered processing aims to streamline these application workflows.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: The technology addresses administrative bottlenecks common across emerging markets through, though implementation remains undervaluation.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: At the bottom of the commission's scale, Sierra Leone, the GoFor Gold program provides$12,000 per approved client for the agent.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Required investment reaches$140,000 for single applicants.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And Sierra Leone recently restructured its dependent parameters.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Applicants can now include extended relatives and business partners under new special dependents and plus one business partner categories, with fees ranging from$10,000 to$30,000 per additional person beyond the main applicant.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: The commission, however, remains constant, no matter how many dependents are in an application.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to learn more about this program and the fascinating architects behind it, click on the video in the top right corner.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: So what does all this mean for you as an investor?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Governments compensate agents after final approval and passport issuance.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Investment timing and client nationality do not affect commission levels.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Between Sierra Leone's$12,000 and St.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis's$50,000 lies the entire economics of the citizenship by investment market.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now you know exactly what's at stake when an agent recommends one program over another.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now that you know what agents earn on each program, you might be wondering if there's a way to build a passport portfolio without paying CBI premiums at all.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: There is.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Watch how to stack three passports and three continents for free on your screen right now to see how to do it as fast as humanly possible.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And if this video helped you understand the economics behind investment migration, subscribe and hit like so we can keep pulling back the curtain for you.