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.
How a U.S. Visa-for-Cash Plan Funds Luxury Apartment Buildings – The Wall Street Journal explores how, in order to benefit from EB-5 investment, companies are gerrymandering to ensure that projects in affluent neighborhoods are still classed as being in areas of low income and employment.
The other immigrants: how the super-rich skirt quotas and closed borders – Independent news website The Conversation looks at the history of investor immigration programs.
St Kitts And Nevis – A Champion And Model In Economic Performance In The Region Under Denzil Douglas – Dr Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, has praised St. Kitts’ policy with regard to the CBI program, highlighting the use of program income to reduce debt as a positive model for the region.