Latest / IMI Podcasts / ETIAS Could Become the EU’s New Pressure Valve on Caribbean CIPs, Say One-Third of Executives

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ETIAS Could Become the EU’s New Pressure Valve on Caribbean CIPs, Say One-Third of Executives · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Investment migration firms have grown markedly more optimistic about the sector's trajectory over the past two years.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Concerns have eased across nearly every dimension, while expansion plans reveal strategic pivots toward emerging markets and source countries.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: However, as the market evolves, new concerns come into play.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: This article dives into the future of investment migration, as per the results of IMI's 2025 executive survey.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Industry firms have grown less concerned about the future overall since 2023.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Not on a single issue did firms report an increase in concern in 2025 relative to 2023.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Executives' top concern remains the specter of Caribbean CBI countries losing visa-free travel to Schengen.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: But the share of firms worried about this particular eventuality has fallen from 63% in 2023 to 55% in 2025.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: 43% of firms cite the potential closure of major investment migration programs as a concern, but this represents a marked improvement from 2023, when this potential troubled 58% of respondents.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Part of the explanation is that some 2023 fears have already materialized.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Spain's Golden Visa and Malta's main policy have closed, validating those concerns.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: 35% of firms indicated potential harm to the industry's reputation because a firm's unethical conduct was a concern, while 38% are still concerned about the negative consequences of CBI discounting practices.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Three-quarters of industry executives believed at least one new citizenship by investment program would open in the next year.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is unsurprising since three new CBI programs opened in the preceding 12 months.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: In Nauru, Sao Tomei and Principe, and Sierra Leone, and several more have announced concrete CBI plans.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Argentina, Solomon Islands, and Botswana.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Note that only half of the respondents believed all five Caribbean CBI countries would actually implement their planned 30-day physical presence requirements, despite repeated assurances from officials that this would be the case.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: One-third of firms believe the EU would openly begin using the ETIAS system to discriminate against CBI citizens.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: A quarter expect at least one CBI program to close in the next year, though only 15% foresee a Caribbean country losing Schengen access.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: A quarter of surveyed firms plan to open offices in North America in the coming year, corresponding to the data on North America becoming a major source market.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: 20% aim to establish a presence in Latin America, which could operate as both an inbound and outbound market, especially if Argentina opens its CIP.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: 30% do not plan on expanding.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Appetites for office openings on the African continent have abated sharply since 2023, falling from 33% of respondents to just 18% in 2025.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Only one firm planned to open offices in China.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The data reveal an industry in strategic recalibration rather than retreat.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Firms are adapting to materialized risks, including program closures that once seemed hypothetical, while positioning themselves for growth in markets that reflect shifting global wealth patterns and regulatory realities.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Ahmad Abbas on IMIDAily.com.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Subscribe for free to the IMI newsletter for breaking news and updates from the investment migration industry.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And upgrade your membership to IMI Pro to get access to our exclusive professional community, citizenship catalog, investment migration company Rolodex, private briefings, and more members only content.