Category Archives: Updates

China has long been considered a goldmine for the investment migration industry. With its large base of high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), rapid wealth creation, and increasing appetite for global mobility, the potential remains immense. However, many firms entering the Chinese market exit quietly after failing to generate results. So the question stands: is China still a viable market for investment migration in 2025?

Market Overview: A Nation of High-Net-Worth Individuals

According to Credit Suisse and Hurun reports, China ranks among the top countries with the highest number of dollar millionaires. The demand for outbound mobility, asset protection, and offshore planning is high, driven by:

• Rising domestic regulations and scrutiny

• Interest in international education for children

• Political uncertainty and capital control risks

• Aspirations for lifestyle upgrade and global freedom

Yet the challenge isn’t in the demand—it’s in conversion.

Why Most Investment Migration Firms Struggle in China

Firms entering China often overestimate the ease of market penetration and underestimate the structural and cultural barriers. Key challenges include:

1. Lack of On-the-Ground Infrastructure: Without a local partner or entity, firms struggle to navigate regulatory frameworks, marketing channels, and trust barriers.

2. Low-Quality Lead Generation: Buying unqualified leads or relying on foreign digital campaigns typically yields poor conversion.

3. Trust and Relationship Culture: Chinese HNWIs prefer to engage via trusted referrals and local intermediaries. Cold acquisition rarely works.

4. Information Saturation: Many Chinese clients are already aware of second citizenship options but need customized, low-risk, and high-prestige solutions—not boilerplate programs.

5. Incompatibility with Traditional Campaigns: Western marketing models—Google Ads, LinkedIn campaigns—are ineffective in a market that operates via WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, and offline networks.

Why China Is Still a Viable Market—If Done Right

Despite the complexity, China remains viable for firms that take the right approach:

• Localized Strategy: Content, webinars, and outreach must be executed in Mandarin and tailored to Chinese financial, educational, and lifestyle priorities.

• Partnership Model: Success often depends on establishing collaborations with local law firms, wealth managers, or education agents.

• Offline and HNW Events: Face-to-face interactions at wealth forums, education expos, or family office conferences often drive the highest conversions.

• Tailored Programs: Chinese investors tend to prefer high-reputation countries (e.g., Portugal, Italy, Greece) with clear pathways to citizenship and family inclusion.

What Works: Key Programs with Chinese Appeal

1. Portugal: Offers a direct path to EU citizenship, strong education system, and minimal residency.

2. Greece: Affordable real estate route and access to Europe via Schengen.

3. Italy: Investor visa with no upfront financial transfer required, ideal for capital control concerns.

4. Dominica/St. Kitts: Fast-track options for those looking for immediate mobility or backup plans.

IMI-Asia vs. Traditional Models

IMI-Asia has pioneered successful strategies for investment migration in Asia through:

• A robust partner network across Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in China.

• In-market content creators and advisors who understand client psychology.

• Compliance-aware structures for WeChat and payment integration.

Firms trying to replicate this model without deep market insights or partners often fail.

Where Globalia Consulting Comes In

Globalia Consulting, in partnership with the Globevisa Group—one of Asia’s most established investment migration brands—is uniquely equipped to navigate China’s complexities.

Our strengths include:

• Access to a trusted local network via Globevisa’s onshore presence in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and beyond

• Tailored value propositions built around Chinese family values—legacy, education, and mobility

• Multilingual advisors and localized content that build trust and compliance

• Exclusive projects and curated program portfolios, including EU real estate and donation-based visa programs

By combining Globevisa’s operational footprint with Globalia’s strategic expertise, we offer a long-term, partnership-driven approach to unlocking the China opportunity.

Just six months after the relaunch of Hong Kong’s Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), the program has pulled in a substantial HK$10.5 billion through 341 approved applications. Yet in a revealing trend, not a single investor has opted for the real estate track—despite its inclusion as a new luxury investment option.

Where the Money Is Going

Most applicants are placing their capital into market-linked financial instruments, such as equities, bonds, and approved funds. This preference reflects:

• Flexibility and liquidity

• Avoidance of Hong Kong’s overheated property sector

• Faster approval timelines with non-real estate options

What This Signals for Investors

The trend suggests a growing sophistication among global HNWIs prioritizing mobility with capital efficiency, rather than tying up funds in illiquid real estate assets.

Globalia Consulting’s View

At Globalia Consulting partner of Globevisa Group, we see Hong Kong’s CIES as a competitive mobility product for Asia-focused investors seeking:

• A secure, Tier 1 financial jurisdiction

• Strong legal framework and market access

• Residency through transparent, financial asset-based routes

We continue to monitor policy shifts and investor behavior across Asia to align clients with low-friction, high-impact residency options.

Recent talk of Portugal extending its citizenship timeline from 5 to 10 years has triggered concern among Golden Visa investors. But here’s the reality: if you’ve already applied or invested, your rights are protected.

What’s Actually Happening

• The proposal is still a draft, not yet law

• It doesn’t mention Golden Visa holders

• Retroactive changes are unconstitutional under Portuguese law

Portugal’s Constitution safeguards those who acted in good faith under the existing legal framework. If you’ve invested and submitted your application, your rights are vested.

Legal Protections You Can Rely On

• Article 18: No retroactive restriction of rights

• Article 2: Your expectations are legally protected

• Article 266: Government must act in good faith

Portugal’s courts have a strong record of defending investors—especially in prior reforms affecting pensions, wages, and Golden Visa rules.

Strategic Advice

• Already applied? You’re protected. Stay compliant.

• About to apply? Do it now before the law changes.

• Still deciding? The current 5-year rule is still active—but not forever.

Portugal remains one of the most investor-friendly EU countries—offering mobility, tax efficiency, family inclusion, and legal stability.

How Globalia Consulting Can Help

As a partner of Globevisa Group, Globalia Consulting provides full support across investment selection, application strategy, and legal compliance. We help clients move forward with confidence, not confusion.

Ready to secure your EU future? Contact Globalia today.

As global volatility accelerates, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are reassessing their citizenship strategies. A new development from South America has caught the attention of forward-looking investors: Argentina is in the process of drafting a direct citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program, expected to require a minimum capital contribution of USD $500,000.

If implemented, this would mark Argentina’s entry into the direct citizenship investment market—and would position it as a unique geopolitical asset for global investors seeking mobility, protection, and strategic leverage.

Why Argentina: Access, Influence, and Independence

Argentina is a G20 member and part of Mercosur, the South American trade bloc offering mobility and economic access to countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.

A future Argentine passport could provide:

• Visa-free travel to over 170 countries, including the EU, UK, and most of South America

• Geopolitical diversification outside of EU/OECD-heavy frameworks

• Bilateral agreements that facilitate regional and global movement

As the U.S. and other Western nations face growing fiscal deficits and restrictive tax regimes, Argentina offers a non-aligned and resource-rich jurisdiction that may soon reward investors with a direct citizenship route.

What We Know So Far

While still under review by Argentine lawmakers, the proposed program would reportedly:

• Require a USD $500,000 investment in approved sectors (e.g., real estate, agribusiness, innovation, or national development funds)

• Offer direct access to citizenship—not linked to residency or naturalization

• Target foreign investors and HNWIs looking for global mobility and legal second citizenship

Implementation details, including timelines, fund allocation methods, and due diligence procedures, are yet to be finalized.

Strategic Value of Argentine Citizenship

If the law is passed, the Argentine passport could offer a unique mix of:

• Mobility: Ranked among the top 20 globally for visa-free access

• Tax efficiency: Argentina currently does not tax foreign-sourced income for non-domiciled residents, which may extend to new citizens with proper structuring

• Asset protection: Citizenship in a jurisdiction outside of OECD-centric information-sharing treaties may offer insulation from global overreach

• Currency and regional diversification: The ability to operate in Latin American markets while holding assets across currencies

Who This Program Would Serve

The upcoming program is designed for:

• HNWI and entrepreneurs seeking a fast-track, low-barrier second passport

• Investors looking to hedge geopolitical risk

• Global citizens aiming to secure long-term optionality beyond traditional Western systems

• Families pursuing legacy planning through legal multi-citizenship structures

Argentina in the Freedom Stack

If introduced, Argentina’s CBI program would fit neatly into a broader mobility strategy:

• Pairing with EU or Caribbean passports for layered access

• Combining with territorial tax residencies (e.g., UAE, Panama)

• Utilizing regional presence to enter Latin American markets with favorable trade terms

It would also appeal to those seeking a non-Western second passport in a stable democracy with deep natural resources and cultural capital.

Final Thoughts: The Time to Prepare Is Now

Although Argentina’s $500K citizenship-by-investment program is not yet launched, the direction is clear: countries outside the traditional CBI space are starting to compete for global capital and talent.

At Globalia Consulting partner of Globevisa Group, we closely monitor legislative developments in emerging CBI markets. For clients seeking early access to frontier opportunities and strategic advantage, Argentina’s potential program may become a critical component in a diversified citizenship portfolio.

We recommend pre-positioning now—by aligning capital, conducting due diligence, and preparing documentation—to move quickly when the law is formalized.

A recent survey conducted among citizens and residents in countries with active Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs has shed light on public perceptions of the economic and cultural implications of such schemes. The findings reveal that 81% of respondents favor job opportunities generated by CBI-related investments over unemployment, indicating strong public support for the economic impact of CBI initiatives.

Economic Benefits of CBI Programs

The data underscores the importance of CBI programs in driving economic growth, particularly in regions that rely on foreign direct investment to sustain infrastructure projects, tourism, and job creation. Respondents emphasized the role of CBI-funded initiatives in reducing unemployment, with many highlighting how these investments have contributed to the development of key sectors, including real estate, hospitality, and construction.

For Globalia Consulting, this presents an opportunity to align CBI offerings with projects that have proven positive economic outcomes, thereby attracting investors who are keen to contribute to the local economy while securing citizenship.

Cultural and National Identity Concerns

Despite the economic benefits, some concerns persist about the impact of CBI programs on national identity. However, the survey reveals that 68% of participants do not believe that the sale of citizenship diminishes national identity, particularly when CBI programs are managed transparently and strategically.

Addressing these concerns, Globalia Consulting emphasizes that robust due diligence processes, stringent background checks, and a focus on reputable investors can mitigate potential reputational risks associated with CBI initiatives.

Strategic Implications for CBI Providers

For firms like Globalia Consulting, the survey results provide actionable insights into investor sentiment and public perception. By focusing on sustainable investment opportunities that create local jobs and promote economic development, CBI providers can position themselves as responsible facilitators of mutually beneficial programs.

Furthermore, targeted marketing strategies that highlight the economic contributions of CBI programs can help shift the narrative away from concerns about citizenship commodification and toward the broader economic and social benefits these programs provide.

Stay connected with Globalia Consulting to stay informed on the evolving landscape of CBI programs and how they can serve as powerful tools for both economic growth and investor security.