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With regards to 1) how easy it is to be accepted and 2) how easy it is to complete any applicable probationary period.
As a US citizen by birth I've never really bothered to think about this much, so I don't know much about the opportunities/requirements for most of the world. I know I asked for easiest in the thread topic but feel free to share requirements regardless of how "easy" they are.
In the Chinese SARs of HK and Macao, it takes work sponsorship or a family connection to gain temporary residency. Macao used to have an investment option but that ended a few years ago. After receiving temporary residency, under most circumstances it then takes 7 consecutive years of residence for 183 days each year and a continuous employment history (if applicable) to obtain permanent residency.
Malaysia has a resident program that allows for a 10-year visa and purchase of property (among other benefits) in exchange for opening a bank account and maintaining a minimum ~40,000 USD balance. Details vary slightly depending on your age.
It depends how rich you are. Many countries have an Investor visa which will allow you to stay indefinitely as long as you buy and hold a few million dollars worth of their government's bonds. I believe Dominica is the cheapest country to buy your way into - less than 1 million required. Of course, if you are a highly qualified professional with sought-after skills and are fluent in the country's language you may not need to buy your way in.
Frankly, HK can be fairly easy. All you need is a full-time degree from a local university. Then you can get a 1 year IANG visa that allows you to work in the SAR. You can renew it every year, if you have an employment contract. After 7 years you are a permanent resident.
The problem? Finding a job that doesn't require you to speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin. Also, Hong Kong's future is... well... who knows what happens to this city...
Ha I forgot about this thread until I just searched for a similar topic.
Anyway, I'm not sure if much has changed in the last couple years but the Portugal and Spain golden visas have caught my eye. Seems fairly straightforward assuming you have the cash (500,000 euros). Portugal's is neat cause you can theoretically get PR after 5 years and citizenship after 6 without even spending much time in the country (2 weeks every 2 years). Spain has a path to PR in 5 years and citizenship in 10 but you would have to be living there.
I believe Greece offers something similar for a smaller investment, but it is not as attractive a destination for me.
You don't even need to invest in the Golden Visa if you want long term residency in Spain or Portugal. If you have income coming from another source outside the country (say real estate rent income or stock dividends) you can apply for a non-lucrative (Non-Work) residency visa for both Spain and Portugal. Google it and look into it.
Fitting in and not speaking the language is another issue, which I don't have much info about.
The Republic of Ireland is pretty great in terms of citizenship (though it is quite hard to get a job). A developed country that is English speaking, passport that gives you access to the EU and as well it's ranked high on the Henley Visa Restrictions Index.
You don't even need to invest in the Golden Visa if you want long term residency in Spain or Portugal. If you have income coming from another source outside the country (say real estate rent income or stock dividends) you can apply for a non-lucrative (Non-Work) residency visa for both Spain and Portugal. Google it and look into it.
Fitting in and not speaking the language is another issue, which I don't have much info about.
Cool. For me personally I think I'm far from that stage...tourist visa would be adequate. I can handle just 3 months at a time. It's too far out into the future to know if we'd have any interest in being there for many years and/or want the kids to be enrolled in school.
But for those who would be interested, here is a blog I found as a result of your comment. (Mixed family moved from Asia to Spain, I almost thought it was you for a second!)
The Republic of Ireland is pretty great in terms of citizenship (though it is quite hard to get a job). A developed country that is English speaking, passport that gives you access to the EU and as well it's ranked high on the Henley Visa Restrictions Index.
But beware of how crap this place can be
It does seem pretty straightforward from what I can tell. However it isnt super quick...5 years on a visa before you can apply for PR, and then 5 years of residency before you can apply for citizenship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by folicure
It is not that easy anymore, at least in Panama, but there are certain ways like investing, marrying a Panamanian citizen, etc.
Interesting, when did this change? I still find a lot of sites explaining the easy process for Panama but they may be outdated (eg this one: Panama Residency and Citizenship | Nomad Capitalist) Looking at the more official consulate and embassy sites it does look to be slightly less accessible than some are saying. Still not too bad though, with options for pensioned tourists, private income retirees who have a lump sum rather than ongoing pension/ss, and people of means who can invest their way for relatively low amounts.
Cambodia is easy. Enter with a business visa issued at the border, and keep renewing it in country, about $300 a year.. They may be cracking down on that.
Grenada is considered highly desirablel in the Caribbean. Citizenship available for about $200K donation, or $400K real estate investment, redeemable after three years.
The Americans haven't bombed it since the Reagan administration. Yes, THAT Grenada.
Last edited by cebuan; 07-01-2018 at 09:16 PM..
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