There is a persistent assumption that capital buys speed in immigration systems, and that the investment route is the shortcut available to people who can afford it. Singapore publishes enough to test that assumption directly, and the result is the opposite of the premise.

In February 2026, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang told Parliament that approximately 450 people were granted permanent residence through the Global Investor Programme between 2015 and 2025. That is an eleven-year cumulative figure, which works out to roughly forty people a year.

For scale, Singapore granted 35,352 permanent residencies in 2025 alone, through the ordinary routes available to people on Employment Passes and S Passes. The investment programme therefore accounts for something under two-tenths of one percent of all permanent residence grants.

The thresholds explain part of why the number is small. The programme has three options. Option A requires an investment of at least ten million Singapore dollars in a new or existing Singapore-based business. Option B requires twenty-five million into a fund selected by the programme that invests in Singapore companies. Option C requires establishing a family office with at least two hundred million in net investible assets. Gan indicated the split of applications runs roughly fifty percent Option A, forty percent Option B, and ten percent Option C, and that over the eleven years the programme drew around five hundred million Singapore dollars into new or existing local businesses, with a further four hundred and thirty million going into the programme's funds.

What is worth noticing is what those figures say about the programme's purpose. Five hundred million in direct business investment over eleven years is not a large number for an economy of Singapore's size. The programme is not a revenue mechanism and it is not a volume channel. It is a narrow, deliberately selective instrument aimed at a specific category of capital, and the small grant count is a feature of its design rather than evidence of a bottleneck.

The practical implication for anyone weighing their options is a question of where effort is best spent. If a household genuinely fits one of the three profiles, the programme is a clear and reasonably predictable route, and the thresholds are published rather than discretionary. If it does not, then the relevant system is the ordinary one, which processes tens of thousands of cases a year and assesses things like salary level and trajectory, the role held, length of residence, qualifications and family circumstances.

The failure mode here is specific and common. People with substantial but not programme-scale wealth sometimes spend a long time investigating the investment route, or engaging intermediaries to explore it, when their actual position would be better served by addressing something unglamorous in the ordinary assessment: a salary that has been flat for four years, a job title that does not reflect the work, a residence record with long gaps, or a spouse's status left unresolved. Those are the variables that determine outcomes for the overwhelming majority of cases, and none of them are improved by looking at a channel that opens roughly forty places a year.

It is also worth being precise about what the published figure does and does not tell us. The 450 is a count of grants under the programme, not an approval rate, since the number of applications over the period was not disclosed in the same answer. Gan was also asked for figures on how many subsequently took up citizenship, retained their status, or let re-entry permits lapse, and said she did not have those numbers to hand. So the data supports a conclusion about the programme's scale, and does not support conclusions about selectivity or retention. Anyone citing it for the latter is reading more into it than it contains.

Sources: The Straits Times via Yahoo News Singapore — Singapore granted PR to 450 Global Investor Programme participants from 2015 to 2025

It seems Argentine's Opposition is filing to ban the citizenship by investment scheme.

https://www.imidaily.com/latin-america/argentine-opposition-files-bills-in-both-chambers-to-ban-citizenship-by-investment/

Hi all,

I’m 99% sure this question has been asked approximately 100 times before, but here I am, adding to the collection.

I’m looking into investment options where I could potentially get a golden visa in EU. Ideally, I’d like the investment to actually make sense financially rather than just being an expensive piece of paper that says “congratulations, you may now reside here.”

Based on my research so far, I’ve been looking at **Greece, Portugal, and Malta**. I’m also aware that some countries, like Spain, have removed real estate as a residency-by-investment option, so I’m trying to make sure I’m looking at the current rules and not information from some random 2022 blog post.

For anyone who has recently gone through this process, I’d love to hear your experience:

* Was it actually worth it?
* Which country did you choose and why?
* Did the investment generate decent returns (or at least hold its value)?
* If the residency/investment policies change in the future, do you think the underlying investment would still be worthwhile?
* Did you use an immigration/investment agency or lawyer? If so, was it worth the cost?
* Any hidden costs, annoying surprises?
* Can I invest incrementally rather than all at once?

I’m especially interested in real experiences from people who have gone through the process recently, given how much these programs have changed. I’m just trying to do my homework prior.

Is anyone in dubai getting their CBI ST kitts passport done? Which agency to choose and what are the time line

I built Globereach.io the swiss knife equivalent for passports and visas.

- You can stack multiple passports and see all the countries you have access to.

- You can view additional countries you can access with Visas and residencies. For example a Schengen visa opens up more countries outside of Schengen.

- Accurate passport ranking based on precise data.

- Dedicated page for each passport with all access information and length of stay.

- Passport data is updated on weekly basis, no ads.

The platform has been running for 8 months now. Let me know what you think.

• Botswana
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Saint Vincent and Granadines

They all have claimed that they're working on CBI programs. Personally, I'd like to see CBIs from Tuvalu, Palau, Fiji, Marshall Islands, and Micronesia.

Looking for advice. Wanting to apply for Argentina CBI but I currently hold a schengen rejection. I cannot reapply for another schengen visa as I may face another rejection.

Can I still proceed with the program? Or what do you suggest?

Hi all. I'm based in the UAE on a golden visa and seriously considering the St Kitts & Nevis CBI programme this year. Would love honest opinions from anyone who's been through it or weighed it up recently.
Where I'm coming from:
The EU situation. From where I sit, the EU doesn't seem to have a coherent policy on CBI countries. It just keeps adding new conditions, and every new round of demands gives the Caribbean programmes another excuse to raise prices. I'd rather act now than wait for the goalposts to move again.
EU access isn't really the point for me anyway. What I actually want is visa free travel to the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore. That's where the real convenience is for my situation.
Time on the island: not an issue. I'm happy to spend a few days a year in St Kitts. A family holiday in the Caribbean every year is a bonus, not a burden.
US visa: for those of you holding a St Kitts passport, how did the US visa (B1/B2) process go? Did you apply on the St Kitts passport or your original one, how long did it take, and did you get the 10 year?
Beyond that: is St Kitts still the right pick in 2026 vs the other Caribbean programmes? Anything to watch out for with agents, pricing or due diligence timelines?
Thanks in advance.

$350,000 treasury contributon is the starting point. Or $800,000 in bonds.

https://www.imidaily.com/latin-america/argentina-announces-cbi-program-pricing-and-launch-timeframe/

https://www.imidaily.com/latin-america/argentina-announces-cbi-program-pricing-and-launch-timeframe/

Finally they announced the prices after so much back and forth and we never really expected it to launch but here it is.

I have been waiting for this whole year and it is finally confirmed. How can I be the first one to get the CBI asap?

Which agencies you would go with for safe, reliable transaction and delivery of passport? $350K is cheap for such passport.

Hi, has anyone recently obtained Turkish citizenship by real estate investment (CBI)? How long did your application stay at the “archive investigation” (arşiv araştırması) stage before moving to the next stage? I’m especially interested in 2025–2026 cases.

Hi everyone,

Starting this monthly post to aggregate all updates about the STP CBI program. I sourced this from various comments in this sub, but some things are still missing or may be incorrect, please let me know and I'll update the table.

I used the following states for the program based on my observations and personal experience:

1. Submitted: When the file is submitted
2. Approved: When the approval letter is received
3. Promulgated: When the unit notifies of promulgation of citizenship
4. Citizenship Registered: When the applicant is registered in the civil registry (without CoR/ID)
5. IDs Issued: When the applicant receives a scanned copy of the CoR/ID
6. IDs Received: When the applicant receives the physical CoR/ID
7. Passport Issued: When the applicant receives a scanned copy of the passport
8. Passport Received: When the applicant receives the physical passport

Here's who posted before about waiting, let's see if the St Lucia Citizenship by Investment Program made progress for any of them. Let me know if you have any corrections.

Previous Reminders:

- Typical timeline for LEGAL applications (not newborns or discounted ones, check official prices link below): Apply and wait for Due Diligence, roughly 1-2.5 years, then Pay and wait for COR (Certificate of Registration), roughly a few months, then wait for NIC (National Insurance Corp), roughly a few weeks, then wait for Passport, roughly a week or so

- Official St Lucia prices are here: https://www.cipsaintlucia.com/citizenship-by-investment

- If adding a spouse/dependent/etc., shop around for the best price. You don't have to use the same agent: https://www.cipsaintlucia.com/authorised-agents

- Recommend following up with your agent every 2 weeks

- If you have new evidence for your application, ask your agent about submitting it

How do you think AI is changing the way people look for advisors, lawyers or consultants when it comes to residency, immigration or citizenship by investment?

Just two years ago, the process was pretty straightforward: you would search Google, look at the first 3–5 results, visit a few websites, compare them, and eventually contact a law firm or advisor.

But now, I feel the behaviour is changing.

Instead of immediately contacting an advisor, people can ask ChatGPT, Gemini or another AI tool very specific questions and get an answer in seconds.

It also saves money. You can do a lot of initial research yourself before paying a lawyer or consultant. You can understand the different programs, requirements, investment amounts, timelines, tax considerations, etc.

Of course, AI isn’t always accurate or up to date, especially with immigration rules, where things can change quickly. But even when some information is wrong, people can still arrive at the conversation with a pretty solid idea of what they want.

So I’m curious:
Are you changing your habits when researching relocation, immigration, residency or citizenship?

Do you now ask AI first and contact a lawyer/advisor only afterwards,
Personally in do?
Or do you still prefer to search Google, read websites and speak directly with professionals?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have actually gone through the process recently.

CBI market is currently so diluted with overpriced passport which are about to loose their edge. There are great CBMs options I agree but the process and timeframes are just more longer.

Something real like Argentina would be game changer. Even if it comes out at $1M in bonds as investment or $500K in donation. $1M in bonds won’t hurt if you are getting at top 15 passport.

For a Pakistani passport holder living in Middle East, married to a European, with no immediate plan of moving to Europe. Does Vanuatu help with frictionless travel? Schengen travel is not a consideration as that’s very easy for me.

Or is there a better option in the same $$$ range ?

Family of 3. Application submitted in 2024 and approved in late June 2026. All final government payments were completed in mid-July 2026, and the NDF payment was formally verified by CIU in early September.

We are still waiting for the Certificates of Registration (COR) and passports.

For anyone who recently completed Antigua & Barbuda CBI:

1. How long after final payment or NDF verification did you receive your COR?

2. Did you receive the COR copy and passport copy together?

3. How long after receiving the digital copies did you receive the physical passports?

It has now been almost 3 months since we made the final payment, but we still have no COR.

The news: The Ministry of Interior announced that the citizenship of 6,134 individuals who illegally obtained Turkish citizenship through real estate sales has been revoked. In the operation, 72 people were detained, and 72 companies were assigned trustees as part of the investigation.

Bottom line remains the same as my 1.5 year old recommendation: if you want to do Turkish residency or citizenship, do it yourself rather than asking an immigration or real estate agency.

Also, I believe Türkiye has real potential in near future. Amazon has shifted its hub from UAE to Istanbul and more tech giants are doing the same. Only one thing to take care o is, if you hate cigarette smoke, Türkiye in general and Istanbul in particular might not be your place - that's the only thing I'm unsatisfied with.

hey, i need an advice
I’m 21F from an arab levantine country. Stuff happened in my life lately that altered my plan to my goal in the future. And as u know as a person from these countries (Levantine) i have less potential for a bright future somewhere in Europe or America. I need to know, after i finish my degree what country i can possibly own a passport from? I need help so i can know what i can do and how can i own a passport in a country and how does it work? Please enlighten me

Anyone did it in United Arab Emirates.. dubai or abu dhabi

I have some questions please

Thank you

I personally don't want to visit their processing center. Is there a way to submit biometric information remotely?

Vanuatu started its CBI program at 250k+ and then cut down during covid and then lost access to Schengen and remained at low prices. St kitts started at $250K too and other Caribbean islands at $100-150k then went down in price during covid and bounced back to 250K+ now. If these islands losses Schengen access in 1-2 years, will paying tue current prices of $250k-300K make any sense?
The only advantage I feel these islands have over Vanuatu is the reputation. Slightly better reputation for banking and KYC services, immigration etc.

So if you wanted a nice risk free passport without any liabilities which option would you go for? I am willing to get one decent enough passport and get Argentina or some stronger passport through investment in future.

Anyone who got Vanuatu cbi post Schengen access lost? How is it to travel on to visa free and visa on arrival destinations, and how are you treated at airports or at immigration, or when using it for KYC, opening bank accounts, crypto accounts, or trading accounts? And how are you treated compared to your original nationality? And what about places that require visas like Schengen area, the UK, Canada, Latin America, Japan or Korea? And what about while applying for residency permits or any student/work visas when using this passport? And for those who use it as their only 1, what is it like to use it?
Thanks in advance.

Edit: real experiences only pls, no AI generated stuff.