Considering second citizenship as a single applicant vs as a family - nuances of choice

Citizenship by investment is a simplified route to naturalization that offers investors and their family members an expedited path to becoming dual citizens. The process is straightforward and affordable, and citizenship by investment programs have evolved to cover the needs of everyone, be it single investors or entire families. If an investor is considering getting a second citizenship, it is a good idea to look into applying alone or with the family in tow. Making the decision requires thoughtful planning, as there are nuanced details that can help a person make the decision. As more family members are added to the application, the investment amount may increase. The same goes with processing times if one family member is a politically exposed person (PEP), meaning that they've held or currently hold high-level public office. In some cases, applying alone may be better; in others, applying as a family may be more beneficial. Below, we take a look at some cases to explain the issue.

Multi-national families

In some cases, the spouses may have different nationalities, and this brings into focus the "need" aspect for second citizenship. If one spouse is already a dual or multi-national, then they may not require another passport. Let's take a family of four as an example. Let's say we have a Pakistani husband and a dual-national wife holding the UK and Serbian passports, living in the UAE. The wife will have more options in terms of travel or business, but the husband may be limited, and since the family lives in the UAE, he cannot qualify for UK or Serbian citizenship unless he lives in either country for a specific amount of time (which he hasn't). Their kids qualify for all three citizenships by descent, so they have the best combo in the family, but this all leaves the husband with weaker global mobility and at the mercy of just one government. In this case, the husband is the only one who really needs a second citizenship, and he can apply as a single applicant and obtain it himself. It is worth noting that Caribbean citizenship by investment programs allow the addition of other family members after the approval of the main applicant, so even if he does want to add his family later on, he can do so. But for the time being, they may not want to spend money on something they currently do not need.

Value for money

Citizenship by investment programs have a wide variety of investment options, the most common being the donation and real estate investment options. Some investors like to get the most benefit from their investment, dividing it up among the biggest amount of family members possible to get the best investment/citizenship-granted ratio. In Antigua & Barbuda, for example, a $100,000 donation to the National Development Fund and a processing fee of $30,000 would cover a family of four. That comes down to $32,500 per person (excluding other admin fees). For a family of six under the same investment category, an investment of $140,000 plus $30,000 in fees is required, bringing the individual cost down to $28,333 per person. But if an investor wants to get a better price per person, they can then apply under the University of West Indies Fund (UWF), which requires a $150,000 donation (including the processing fees) for a family of six, bringing the individual cost down to $25,000. The real estate option, which requires an investment of $200,000 into a share or property that can be resold, can also provide greater value depending on the family composition as a family of four will require a processing fee of $30,000 but a family of six will require a fee of $60,000. If a person resells their share or property after five years, the individual cost (again, excluding admin fees) for the real estate option would come down to just $10,000 for a family of six, but it would require holding a $200,000 investment for five years. Real estate investments can provide returns, though, so the overall price may be even lower. Those looking to get more value per person should consider adding as many family members as they can under the correct investment option.

Limited by citizenship by descent

In this case, we will take another multi-national couple as an example. Consider an Syrian husband and a Jordanian wife. Jordanian women cannot pass on their citizenship to their children, as the kids can only get citizenship by descent through their father. In this case, the children will end up with a Syrian passport, which is one of the weakest in the world. If the couple lives in Jordan, then the husband, as a Syrian, will have trouble owning property, issuing a driver's license, and more. These are the same issues their children will face due to local law. In this case, either the husband or wife can get a second citizenship from the Caribbean, and then pass it on to their future children through descent, or add them directly if they are born within a year of the application, depending on the program. In this case, if the couple wants a second citizenship for their children's sake, only one can apply, and it will fix the issue for their kids.

Targeted global mobility

Consider a US family. They have one of the world's most powerful passports, but let's assume the husband works in trade and has to travel to Mainland China continuously. Even though he holds one of the world's most coveted travel documents that gives him access to 188 destinations visa-free, Mainland China isn't on that list, and every time he needs to go on a business trip to China, he needs to apply for a visa. His wife and kids don't need visa-free access to China, not yet, anyway, but he does. Grenada and Dominica, two countries with simplified citizenship by investment programs, have passports that grant visa-free access to China, the exact issue the US husband needs to resolve. In this case, he can apply alone to resolve this issue, which in this case is a business matter, not a familial one, and if he decides he wants to provide the remainder of his family members with a Dominican or Grenadian passport later on he can do so through launching a continuance or a second application. The choice between adding them to the initial application or filing a second one depends on the age of his children and the time elapsed between the initial application and the decision to add the family members, as well as the program the husband applied to in the first place. In short, he may need a second citizenship now, but his family doesn't, and the flexibility and simplicity of the Caribbean citizenship by investment programs allow him to do so without worrying about not naturalizing his family down the road.

Endless details

Making the decision to apply alone or with the family is a complex one that encompasses a lot of details. The idea behind this is understanding a person's current situation, budget, objectives, and needs. At NTL Trust, we analyze each client's case and provide them with the best solution for their situation. To know more about second citizenship, contact us today to book a comprehensive consultation with one of our experts.