Latest / IMI Podcasts / Greece Plans Golden Visa Price-Hike, Industry Reacts to EU's Demand for Higher Caribbean CBI Prices, ++

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Greece Plans Golden Visa Price-Hike, Industry Reacts to EU's Demand for Higher Caribbean CBI Prices, ++ · IMI Podcasts

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: You're listening to This Week in Investment Migration.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: The Greek Minister of Finance has said his government plans to increase the minimum investment requirement for the country's Golden Visa program due to surging interest.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: This follows an increase last year from€250,000 to 500,000 euros in select municipalities.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Golden Visa lawyer Alexander Varnovas expects prices to rise across the country, but with exemptions for buildings of particular historical or cultural value.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Despite doubling the investment requirement in some areas, application volumes remain at all-time highs, indicating robust demand unaffected by price increases.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: EU representatives, including the head of visa policy, last week, concluded meetings with all Caribbean CBI countries to discuss visa-free Schengen access and concerns about the integrity of CBI programs.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: These initial talks, involving discussions on security, immigration risks, and the economic models of CBI programs, aim to address EU apprehensions without immediately threatening the current visa-free status.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: The EU reportedly asked Caribbean CBI programs to raise prices by an order of magnitude.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Nuri Katz criticizes EU demands for higher Caribbean citizenship by investment program prices as disingenuous, arguing they're a form of protectionism and neocolonialism.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Katz highlights the long history of investment migration financing, like Canada's erstwhile federal program, which faced no EU objections.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: He suggests the EU's real issue isn't price but opposition to CBI as a concept, viewing demands to increase prices as a misguided attempt to make Caribbean CBI less attractive compared to European programs.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Charles Sava advocates for a more constructive resolution of the tensions between Caribbean CBI countries and the EU by allocating a part of CBI revenue to EU supervised due diligence enhancement.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Adopting a collaborative approach that involves adjusting investment thresholds and enhancing due diligence, he writes, makes it possible to address EU concerns effectively while preserving the vital economic benefits that CBI programs bring to the Caribbean.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Tsabamagiar offers a comprehensive overview of the detailed regulations of Hungary's new guest investor program set to start later this year.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: The rules introduce a two-step process where potential investors first obtain a guest investor visa, followed by a residence permit.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Investments can include real estate or contributions to higher education, with specific stipulations for each type.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: This week's episode of our Mobility Standard Podcast explores Portugal's HQA visa as a presence-free path to citizenship in Portugal for€175,000.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Our guest Christopher Lennon from Empowered Startups discusses how the HQA compares with other entrepreneurship based programs in Canada and the US and examines the flexibility of physical presence requirements, addressing whether the HQA visa lives up to claims of offering a nearly presence free route to citizenship in the EU.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.