Henley & Partners offers residence, citizenship programs to Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — As globalization has expanded, residence and citizenship have become of significant interest among internationally mobile entrepreneurs and investors.

With the continued disparity in travel freedom levels between countries due to visa requirements, diplomatic relationships, and immigration rules as well as global events such as Brexit and the US administration under President Donald Trump, more affluent global families and investors are beginning to look abroad for residency or citizenship for education, financial freedom or security.

Residence-by-investment means that an individual or family invests into a certain country to gain residency. For some individuals and families, a change of residence is a very sensible proposition — especially for those in countries with limited options for tax and estate planning, those seeking more lifestyle choices, and those in countries with an unstable political or economic situation where an alternative residence is also a means to increase personal security and achieve a better quality of life.

Meanwhile, citizenship-by-investment refers to instances when an individual or family aims to acquire citizenship of another country, be it for financial or security of lifestyle purposes by significantly investing or contributing to that country.

Each year, Henley & Partners, the global leader in residence and citizenship planning, hosts a series of exclusive seminars across Southeast Asia exploring the latest international trends and developments in investment migration, and showcasing the top-ranked citizenship-by-investment and residence-by-investment programs in the world.

Henley & Partners recently held this seminar in the Philippines, where attendees engaged with leading industry professionals and international experts on citizenship-by-investment programs in Europe and the Carribbean as well as residence-by-investment in Europe, the UAE and Asia.

Discussed were residence-by-investment programs in Asia like the Thailand Elite Residence Program, a visa that allows foreigners to live in the country for around $3,000 a year; Singapore’s Global Investor Program (GIP), specifically aimed at wealthy entrepreneurs and investors interested in making substantial investments and eventually residing in Singapore; and the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Program, which has already accepted more than 30,000 applicants since its inception in 2002.

Also tackled were programs in Europe including UK Tier 1 Investment Visa-Residence and Citizenship for Non-EU Citizens, designed to allow wealthy individuals who make a substantial financial investment in the UK; Portugal Golden Residence Permit, which is the residence permits granted to non-EU nationals making certain investments regulated by law; Malta Residence and Visa Program that offers non-Maltese persons the possibility of acquiring an EU residence card; and the Cyprus Residency by Investment that allows investors to obtain permanent residence through the purchase of new immovable property.

Lastly, citizenship–by-investment (CBI) programs available in Europe were shared including the Antigua and Barbuda CBI Program that requires a person to make a significant economic contribution to the country; the Grenada CBI Program, which was launched in August 2013 and was improved and relaunched by Henley & Partners in 2016 under the Government of Grenada mandate; Cyprus CBI Program that grants full Cypriot citizenship to those that invest at least EUR 2 million into qualifying assets; and the Malta Individual Investor Program (MIIP), an exclusive program designed and implemented by Henly & Partners, which will accept only 1,800 applications.

Each year, hundreds of wealthy individuals, families and their advisors rely on Henley & Partners’ expertise and experience in residence and citizenship planning. Its highly-qualified professionals work together as one team in over 25 offices worldwide. The firm also runs a leading government advisory practice and strategic consulting on the design, set-up and operation of the world’s most successful residence and citizenship programs.

For more information, visit www.henleyglobal.com or follow Henley & Partners in Facebook.