Moving to Europe in two months with Vanuatu citizenship
I can afford a better life for my family with my income level. I want my wife and daughter to live in an advanced country and access the best things the world can offer so far.
Karim, 37 years old
The investor from Tunisia
Clients’ names and photos have been changed
This case was provided by our expert
Investment programs expert
Moving to Europe in two months with Vanuatu citizenship
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Karim is an investor from Tunisia. He owns shares in Tunisian charter airlines. He decided to move his family into an economically developed state. Karim was choosing between European countries and the US.
The investor first wanted to travel around and live in different countries and then choose a state where he and his family could settle. But with a Tunisian passport, it is not easy to travel and move from one country to another: getting visas would take much time and patience. He wanted his family to travel anytime and everywhere.
Karim found out that the citizens of some countries can travel visa-free to Europe and the States. He also found the solution — to get that kind of citizenship is available through Citizenship by Investment programs.
On his friends' recommendations and positive feedback, Karim turned to Immigrant Invest for advice on February 10, 2022.
Preliminary Due Diligence
Before signing a contract with a client and collecting documents for participation in a citizenship program, Immigrant Invest lawyers conduct preliminary Due Diligence.
Vladlena Baranova,
Head of Legal & AML Compliance Department, CAMS, IMCM
To assess an investor’s chances to obtain citizenship by investment, Immigrant Invest’s lawyers conduct a preliminary check. The lawyers consider the legality of income sources and the biography of the investor and his family. The assessment is carried out by our in-house Certified Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer.
The preliminary check showed that Karim has neither criminal records nor tax debts nor instances of visas denials. That means Karim and his family could participate in any citizenship program for investors.
What program did Karim choose
Karim’s requirements for a second passport:
1. Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries.
2. Visa-free entry to the UK.
3. Visa-free entry to the US.
4. Budget — $300,000.
There are no citizenship programs in countries whose passport gives visa-free access to the United States within this budget. But the investor can get citizenship in countries whose passport makes it easy to get a US visa valid for 5—10 years and meet the other conditions.
Immigrant Invest experts suggested that Karim consider the programs that met his objectives and requirements — the Caribbean and Vanuatu programs.
At first, Karims was sceptical about the citizenship of Caribbean countries and Vanuatu. But the benefits of a passport dispelled all his doubts.
Caribbean passports enable its holders to visit more than 140 countries visa-free, including the Schengen area, the UK, Singapore and China. In addition, the citizens of Caribbean countries have the right to get a tourist or business visa to the United States for ten years.
Vanuatu passports have similar features to the Caribbean’s:
B‑1/B‑2 visa to the US valid for five years. With such a visa, an investor can spend 180 days in the States during the year.
Visa-free entry to the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and more than 100 other countries. In the UK, Vanuatu citizens can stay up to 180 days a year without visas.
Until March 2022, citizens of Vanuatu could visit the Schengen area visa-free. The agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Vanuatu on the short-stay visa waiver is suspended from 4 May 2022. The agreement is valid for investors who received passports after May 25, 2015.
Most of all, Karim liked the possibility of a visa-free stay in the UK. He and Maryam were thinking about sending their daughter to a British university in the future. The girl has a talent for the English language, and the parents want the daughter to get the best education.
Zlata Erlach,
Head of the Austrian office
Caribbean and Vanuatu citizens get education in the UK on preferential terms. Since Caribbean countries and Vanuatu are the Commonwealth’s members. They obtain a quota or scholarship to study at a British university; they receive a student residence permit in the UK in three days.
Karim decided to obtain Vanuatu citizenship: the fastest low-cost program.
The Vanuatu citizenship program terms
Applicants must pass a Due Diligence check and make a non-refundable contribution to a government fund. An investor also pays the Due Diligence check, the application, notarial, bank and certificate fees.
$135,129
Minimal cost of a Vanuatu passport
The contribution increases if the investor adds family members to the application.
Who can apply for a Vanuatu passport:
An investor with a proven legal source of income.
An investor’s spouse.
Children aged up to 25, financially dependent on the investor.
Parents over 50 years old.
Applicants for Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment do not need to take exams on the country’s language or history, live in Vanuatu or even visit the country.
After meeting the conditions, an investor and his family members are eligible to apply for Vanuatu passports.
Immigrant Invest’s team calculated the cost of participation in the Vanuatu investment program for Karim’s family.
$170,301 — Karim’s expenses under the Vanuatu citizenship program
$165,000 — non-refundable contribution
$5,000 — Due Diligence
$301 — administrative, bank and notary fees fee
What stages of the Vanuatu program did Kamir pass
1. Collecting and submission of the documents. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers prepared and submitted a package of documents to the Vanuatu citizenship department:
Copies of passports.
No criminal record certificates.
Medical insurance.
A statement from our client’s bank account with a balance of $250,000.
The main applicant’s CV.
2. Transferring 25% of the contribution and payment of Due Diligence. Under the terms of the Vanuatu program, the citizenship department begins processing the application after paying the Due Diligence fee and transferring 25% of the contribution due to the National Development Fund. Karim made these payments at the same time the lawyers submitted the documents.
3. Approval of the application and transferring 75% of the contribution. The Vanuatu citizenship department reviewed the application within three weeks. Once the citizenship application was approved, Karim transferred the remaining 75% of the investment.
4. Taking the oath of allegiance before the Honorary Consul of Vanuatu was the second last step. Vanuatu ensures the paid travel of its representatives anywhere in the world. That means investors can take the oath wherever they want.
Karim and Maryam chose the Vanuatu Embassy in the capital city of Morocco, Rabat. They bought plane tickets to Rabat, and on the day of their arrival, the couple took the oath before the Honorary Consul of Vanuatu. The following day Karim and Maryam came back home.
Two weeks later, Karim and his family received their second passports and naturalization certificates by courier at the address selected by them.
February 10th, 2022
Applying to Immigrant Invest
+ 1 day
Preliminary Due Diligence
+ 2 weeks
Collecting and submission of the documents
+ 1 day
Submission of the documents and transferring 25% of the contribution
+ 3 weeks
Due Diligence
+ 1 day
Approval of the application and transferring 75% of the contribution
+ 1 day
Taking the oath of allegiance before the Honorary Consul of Vanuatu
+ 2 weeks
Delivery of the passport
April 4th, 2022
Obtaining Vanuatu passports
Karim’s family life with Vanuatu passports
The first European country Karim is planning to live in is the UK. The family is packing now and preparing to move.
Karim,
the investor from Tunisia
We’re more likely to settle down in Europe than in other countries. I can’t exactly tell which country we want to live in, but now with a Vanuatu passport, there are plenty of options: just go and see!
In the summer, the family plans to go on vacation to the US on a B‑1/B‑2 visa. They want to visit the key states on the eastern coast during their first trip.
Karim himself graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He hopes his daughter follows the steps of her father and enters one of the best universities in the UK in the future. For example, the University of Oxford.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.
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