Significant Investor Visas: Hope remains three months after reforms– Australian investors say it’s too early to be worried that changes to the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) program have driven international investors away, despite a significant fall in applications since reforms in July. Property developers also remain positive, saying that the lack of SIV investors is not affecting their demand.
IIUSA Sends Congress Letter of Support for EB-5 Reauthorization – More than 875 organizations have signed IIUSA’s ““EB-5 is Working” letter in support of reauthorizing the EB-5 investor immigration program. Further support for the program has come from the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while experts expect the program to get short-term re-authorization pending eventual overhaul.
Kofi Annan, Global Leaders will Discuss Future of Global Citizenship and Solutions to Migrant Crisis at Global Citizen Forum 2015 – The 3rd annual Global Citizen Forum (GCF), held from 8-9 October 2015 in Monaco. will focus on the intensifying refugee crisis in Europe and feature discussions on global security, foreign direct investment and the future of global citizenship.
Saint Lucia Citizen By Investment Programme board named – Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Saint Lucia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, will chair the board, which also contains representatives from the Attorney General’s office, the police force, and private practice.
Antigua denies claim that passports being sold to Syrian refugees – The Antigua government has strongly denied claims that its Citizenship by Investment Programme is selling passports to Syrian refugees who end up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, following allegations made in an article published on the online news portal Virgin Islands Free Press.
Antigua Looking to Keep ‘Pirates’ Spirit Alive With $125M Film Fund – The Government of Antigua has approved a film fund which will be financed by $400,000 investments from applicants to the country’s CBI program. Golden Islands Filmworks will raise $125 million to go towards the financing of five feature films, include a Bob Marley biopic and a thriller based on the best-selling Nick Carter novels.
KPMG: Make New Zealand investor migrants take a risk – Almost 80% of investor visa recipients’ funds currently ends up in government and corporate bonds, according to a KPMG report. Business organisations have called for investor migrants to be required to fund more productive, growth-focused investments, but Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has warned that drastic changes could put off would-be investors.
UK investor visa applications slide by 82% – Experts attribute the decline to the doubling of the investment threshold to £2 million, increased competition from other programs in Europe, and increasing limitations of ‘non-dom’ tax advantages.
Rule change hits demand for Australian investor visas – Just seven applications have been submitted under revised rules introduced on July 1 that require investments in riskier assets such as venture capital and emerging companies to qualify for visas.
Refugee crisis focus for Global Citizen Forum – A major focus of the Global Citizen Forum will be discussion over introducing a Global Citizen Tax, a simple levy on investor applications for residence or citizenship in EU countries, which could be used to fund support for the current refugee crisis.