Nigerians increasingly seeking second citizenship

Throughout the world, investors and business people are obtaining second citizenship to as to avail of the significant benefits associated with dual nationality. Nigerians are no exception. In fact, Nigerians are amongst those who are increasingly obtaining second citizenship to such places as Caribbean nations, America, Canada and Portugal. Advantages of second citizenship include availing of another social services system, expanding opportunities in business and work, access to alternative educational systems, the ability to travel visa free to an increased amount of countries, personal and political security, voting in another country and even running for public office.

Because obtaining dual citizenship is complex and the application rules vary greatly from country to country, Krisko & Associates, a firm with almost 30 years of experience in citizenship and immigration, has established an office in Abuja to assist those wishing to secure a second nationality for their families. Krisko & Associates was founded by Kim Krisko, a Canadian lawyer. The Abuja office is headed by Faruk Abdullahi, a Nigerian national and holder of a Masters degree in finance from Heriot-watt University, United Kingdom. Over the years, Krisko & Associates has assisted thousands of families achieve there residence and citizenships to such places as America, Canada and Europe, as well as Caribbean nations like St. Kitts, Grenada and Dominica.

Second citizenships and residence visas may be obtained in as little as three months.

Specifically, Nigerians are able to access the following citizenship and immigration programs:

The Caribbean Second Citizenship Programs, Caribbean nations like St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Grenada offer second citizenship through their respective Citizenship-by-Investment programs. A holder of one of these passports may travel visa free to about 135 countries, including all European Union countries, the UK, Russia, Turkey, Singapore and Hong Kong. Holding a citizenship from one of these respected countries may also make it easier to obtain residency status or study in other countries, and allows political security and makes it easier to open bank accounts in foreign jurisdictions. To qualify, an applicant needs to be of good reputation and make a government donation of at least $100,000 USD after approval of their citizenship application. Approval of a Citizenship-by-Investment application normally takes about 3 months, and all dependant family members may be included in an application, as well as dependant parents. The Caribbean citizenship programs are amongst the most popular of all immigration programs in the world.

Turkey Second Citizenship Program. Citizenship may be obtained in Turkey by purchasing real estate in the amount of $250,000 USD, which must be held for 3 years. A Turkish national may live, work and study in Turkey as of right. Turkey’s geographical location, quality of life and business opportunities makes this a particularly popular program. Turkish citizens are eligible to apply for the USA E-2 Investor visa, thanks to the commerce and navigation treaties in place between the two countries. Approval of a Turkish citizenship application normally takes about 4 months and all dependant children may also be included in an application who are under the age of 18 years at the time of filing an application.

Portugal Golden Visa Program. The Portugal Golden Visa Program allows for residency and citizenship by investment. Currently, the program allows for an investment of 350,000 Euro into either real estate or a government-endorsed investment fund. The investment must be held for a minimum of five years and three visits to Portugal totalling 35 days must be made, after which citizenship may be applied for. Having a Portugal residence visa allows for the right to live, work and study in Portugal and for visa free access to all Schengen countries. For those that apply after January 1, 2022, the investment minimum will be raised to 500,000 Euro. All dependant family members may be included in an application.

Bulgaria Residency and Citizenship program. Bulgaria recently updated it’s law regarding it’s residency and citizenship programs. The program allows for an investment into stocks trading in Bulgaria in the amount of 1,024,000 Euro or 512,000 Euro into an alternative investment fund. There is no requirement to reside in Bulgaria and citizenship may be applied for after 5 years. There is a fast-track option which allows an applicant to apply for citizenship after only 2 years if the investment mentioned is doubled. Having Bulgarian citizenship allows for residency without restriction in European Union countries and allows travel to 153 countries visa-free including all Schengen countries, Canada, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Greece Golden Visa Program. This program requires an applicant to purchase a property of 250,000 Euro value. The Greek Golden Visa Allows for all dependant family members to live, work and study in Greece, as well as visa-free access to all Schengen countries. However, to obtain citizenship requires strict residency requirements for several years and ability in the Greek language.

CANADA. Canada is land of immigrants. Company owners, managers, senior executives and those with specialized skills may be qualified for the Canada Start-Up Visa Program. This program is a Permanent Resident program, whereby approved applicants will be issued permanent residence status to migrate to Canada, incorporate a company, and work on a start-up concept in conjunction with a Canadian government approved Angel Investor or Incubator. An applicant should have a minimum of $500,000 CAD in net worth, have achieved an English exam score of at least CLB level 5, have at least 2 years of post-secondary education, and be under the age of 60 years. The costs of this program are about $85,000 USD.

USA EB2 Green Card. This program is suitable for well-resourced business people and requires a $300,000 USD investment. To qualify the applicant should be a person of achievement, with a minimum education of a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of professional experience, with documented business success as either an entrepreneur or a senior executive. Green cards are approved in about 18 months, and all dependant family members may be included in the application.

The Abuja office of Krisko & Associates is located at 4th Floor, Tower C, Churchgate Plaza, Constitution Avenue, Central Business District.

Tel: +2348099592529 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kriskos.com