Latest / IMI Podcasts / This Week in IM - Mar 20: 🇻🇺 Suspends CIIP, 🇺🇸 Denies Travel Ban List, 🇭🇺 GIP Registers 25 Permits, ++
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: You're listening to IMI This Week.
- 0:04SPEAKER_00: Trump's proposed gold card program would place second among the world's most expensive investment migration programs at five million dollars, far exceeding the current EB5 visa investment requirement.
- 0:17SPEAKER_00: Other top contenders include Hong Kong, New Zealand, Bermuda, and Singapore, each offering different paths to residency or citizenship.
- 0:27SPEAKER_00: The New York Times and Reuters indicated several Caribbean citizenship by investment nations appear on a draft US travel restriction list.
- 0:36SPEAKER_00: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis, and St.
- 0:42SPEAKER_00: Lucia are allegedly on a yellow list requiring security improvements within 60 days.
- 0:49SPEAKER_00: Kevin Hosom notes inconsistencies in country selection amid the Caribbean nations' recent compliance efforts.
- 0:57SPEAKER_00: Hungary's guest investor program attracted only 25 residence permit applications by February 2025, with Chinese nationals comprising the largest group and Russians being largely rejected.
- 1:11SPEAKER_00: Despite 192 preliminary visa applications, the program uses a two-stage process requiring investments through just two fund managers who have close ties to the Prime Minister's son-in-law.
- 1:25SPEAKER_00: The governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St.
- 1:29SPEAKER_00: Kitts, and Nevis, and St.
- 1:31SPEAKER_00: Lucia seek answers after reports placed them on a U.S.
- 1:35SPEAKER_00: travel yellow list.
- 1:37SPEAKER_00: None have received official communication from Washington, despite media claims they have 60 days to address security concerns.
- 1:46SPEAKER_00: The affected nations have emphasized their ongoing cooperation with U.S.
- 1:51SPEAKER_00: authorities.
- 1:53SPEAKER_00: Vanuatu's Citizenship Commission has suspended all new applications under the Capital Investment Immigration Plan, referred to as CIIP, until further notice.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: The suspension affects only the investment-based CIIP program while donation-based options remain available.
- 2:13SPEAKER_00: Manpreed Kataria, Glenn Craig, and Daniel Agius anticipate a potential price increase to align with European requirements and match Caribbean programs.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: The St.
- 2:26SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis CIU now accepts cryptocurrency as partial proof of wealth for citizenship applicants, requiring extra due diligence fees and verification documentation.
- 2:39SPEAKER_00: The policy change follows Hong Kong's CIES and comes alongside other modifications, such as stopping processing name changes on registration certificates.
- 2:50SPEAKER_00: The US State Department has denied the existence of a draft travel ban list targeting 43 countries, including eight with citizenship by investment programs.
- 3:00SPEAKER_00: Spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasised there is no such list, despite media reports claiming a three-tier restriction system.
- 3:08SPEAKER_00: Caribbean nations with CBI programs had sought clarification after allegedly being placed on a yellow list.
- 3:18SPEAKER_00: Sarawak has strengthened vetting for its MM2H program, rejecting applicants with questionable backgrounds.
- 3:26SPEAKER_00: The program has grown dramatically from 89 annual approvals to 542 in 2023, with Chinese nationals forming the largest applicant group.
- 3:38SPEAKER_00: Recent changes include tripling the fixed deposit requirement to 500,000 ringgit per family and shifting full authority over permits to the Sarawak government.
- 3:51SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us today on IMI Podcasts.
- 3:54SPEAKER_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.