Permanent residency refers to a person’s visa status.  By achieving this status the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen.  A person with such status is known as a permanent resident. Resident permits are issued for migrants who meet certain criteria and its validity is time based.

Depending on the client’s country of citizenship and the country where permanent residence is obtained, benefits accrue to the client.  Benefits vary and include:

• travel benefits;
• an alternative lifestyle setup;
• a property investment and/or a holiday home;
• a 2nd home and/or a new primary residence;
• an immigration destination;
• a new tax jurisdiction;
• an improved personal and corporate tax exposure;
• new company structures;
• estate planning benefits;
• a lifestyle security;
• freedom and privacy.

By obtaining Citizenship in another country, the client becomes a citizen of that country which entitles them to carry that country’s passport.  Depending on the countries involved, the client will keep their existing citizenship and passport and thus the new passport becomes their 2nd passport.  This is why these programmes are often referred to as 2nd passport programmes.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above for Permanent Residence programmes, Citizenship programmes can also offer:

• no restrictions on the time allowed to visit or leave the country;
• no yearly commitments in order to maintain their citizenship status;
• further improved travel benefits;
• work and business restrictions lifted;
• certainty of one’s future;
• complete lifestyle hedge.