Latest / IMI Podcasts / This Week in IMI - Mar 26: Caribbean CIPs Agree on Price Floor, Greek Golden Visa Gets New Price Tiers, EU Eyes Visa-Ban for CBI Countries,++

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This Week in IMI - Mar 26: Caribbean CIPs Agree on Price Floor, Greek Golden Visa Gets New Price Tiers, EU Eyes Visa-Ban for CBI Countries,++ · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening to IMI this week.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: The Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and St.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis have signed a MOOC to align significant aspects of their citizenship by investment programs.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: The MO includes a commitment to harmonize minimum investment thresholds at$200,000, share information on applicants, enhance program transparency, establish a common regional competent authority for regulation, cooperate on post-approval screening and passport retrieval, and set common standards for agent regulation and marketing.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Notably absent from the list of signatories was St.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Lucia, the only Caribbean CBI jurisdiction not participating in the accords.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: The Greek government has announced new real estate investment thresholds for its golden visa program, with two main investment zones, 800,000 euros for high demand areas, and 400,000 euros for other regions.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: However, there are two exceptions allowing a minimum investment of€250,000 for properties converted from commercial to residential and for the restoration of listed buildings.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: These affordable routes could quickly become the more popular ones for investors, says Greek Golden Visa Specialist lawyer Alexander Varnovas.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: The new rules also include restrictions on short-term rentals with noncompliance, resulting in permit revocation and fines.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: The European Union is moving closer to a legislative adjustment that would allow it to easily suspend visa-free treaties with countries operating citizenship by investment programs.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: The European Commission previously proposed adding CBI programs to the list of conditions that could trigger a visa waiver suspension.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Last week, the ambassadors of the EU member states collectively agreed to support the proposal.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: If adopted, the law would allow the EU to halt visa-free travel with countries suspected of abusing their CBI programs or working against the interests of the EU.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Malaysia's government is contemplating further relaxations to its Malaysia My Second Home Residency Program, including easing age eligibility, financial requirements, minimum stay periods, visa validity, and property ownership rules.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: The proposed changes, which aim to make the program more competitive and accessible to foreign investors and tourists, come as the MM2H scheme has struggled in recent years, following stricter rules introduced in 2021 that drove an 85% decline in applications.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Hungary's new guest investor program allows third country citizens to obtain a residence permit by investing at least 250,000 euros in a real estate investment fund registered with the Central Bank of Hungary.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: These funds, writes immigration lawyer Saba Magyar, can be classified in various ways such as by term, operating form, tradability, and asset focus, and must invest at least 40% of their net asset value in residential real estate in Hungary.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Greece's new immigration code, which introduces changes to the minimum investment thresholds for most non-real estate qualifying categories of the country's golden visa program, is set to take effect on March 31st.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Some thresholds will increase, such as capital contributions to companies, RERCs, and fixed-term deposits, and others like purchases of shares in mutual funds and AIFs will decrease.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: The only investment option likely to have a practical effect in the near term is the 500,000 euro term deposit, as other options are either unpopular or not yet operational.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Japan plans to introduce a new five-year residency visa for angel investors and venture capitalists in a bid to attract startup capital and support local startups.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: The visa will apply to 13 national strategic special zones in Japan and is set to make it easier for foreign investors to live and work in the country.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: The success of the new visa will depend on its specific details and the overall ease of doing business in Japan for foreign nationals.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: In this week's edition of 10 on the weekend, IMIPro Reed Kirchenbauer says several niche citizenship by investment programs in Asia, including those of Bangladesh and Cambodia, are starting to find an audience.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: I refer to these types of programs as citizenship for investment, because while they're not ideal for travel purposes, they provide investment access to local markets.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Read the full interview in this week's edition of IMI.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us today on IMI Podcasts.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Subscribe for free to the IMI Daily Newsletter for breaking news and updates from the investment migration industry.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: And consider upgrading your membership to IMI Pro to get insider access to networking opportunities, industry events, data, and members only content.