Attention Economy


Friday, April 15, 2016

Economics of ‘Citizenship-by-Investment’ Programs

An interesting piece:
“As migration and inequality continue to get significant attention from U.S. presidential candidates, it is worth noting a rising phenomenon at the intersection of these two topics: economic citizenship. A growing number of countries offer individuals passports in return for investment, and the wealthy have been taking advantage of such programs in increasing numbers. In 2014, the global rich spent an estimated $2 billion acquiring nationalities.
The Caribbean is the global capital of “citizenship-by-investment” programs. A passport from Dominica can be had in return for a $100,000 investment. A $400,000 real estate investment or a $250,000 donation to a development fund will get you citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis. Similar sums are required for a passport from Antigua and Barbuda, in addition to five days of residency over the first five years of citizenship. In 2015, Caribbean nations effectively sold an estimated 2,000 passports through citizenship-by-investment programs, up 100 percent over the past five years.”