The world has gone global beyond the point of no return. Due to their business activities, more and more people are travelling internationally. Indeed, as a businessperson, it is highly probable that you will be called upon to represent your company in meetings and conferences abroad. It is an unfortunate reality that some people totally miss out on that opportunity or experience delays because their visa is not delivered promptly or due to the fact that their visa application is refused on various grounds.

Such frustrating situations may sound familiar to many readers and do seem desperately unfair, especially when ordinary people, businessmen or businesswomen and high net worth individuals obviously have no possible means of choosing their place of birth.

Just as you can strategically change the way your company is perceived by others for business purposes by implementing a structure that has been properly thought out, it is also possible to "restructure" your citizenship, using this to your advantage to change the way in which people view you and your family. Citizenship is much more than merely a nationality inherited at birth. It can be used, along with residence, as a strategic tool for tax optimisation and wealth protection within the confines of the law.

Legally obtaining a second citizenship and passport from an appropriate jurisdiction is an ideal solution to guarantee the latitude of movement with visa-free travel to most countries in the world, to protect assets against high taxation and to grow wealth over generations.

How can you mitigate the uncertainty of being granted a visa?

How can you legally obtain citizenship without living in the respective country?

What advantages can a Saint Kitts & Nevis citizenship confer on you?

How can you protect your assets from a high taxation country?

Unless you are born in a country that is generally viewed in a positive US Citizenship in the international arena or have parents from such a country, it usually takes a number of years of residence to qualify for citizenship in most countries. As such, some governments have created alternative routes for people making an economic contribution to the country by granting citizenship via legal economic citizenship programmes.

The Government of Saint Kitts & Nevis introduced an "Economic Citizenship Programme" within Part II section 3 (5) of the Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship Act of 1984 (n°1 of 1984). Said programme aims to attract investors of good character who will make a substantial contribution to Saint Kitts & Nevis, with investment funds contributing to the development of the nation.

The law allows applicants who invest in Saint Kitts & Nevis to be granted citizenship without any requirement to actually be resident locally. There are no criteria to be fulfilled with regards to minimum net worth, level of education, maximum age, nationality or business experience, and a visit to Saint Kitts & Nevis or an interview are not necessary.