In addition to the goal of settling for families, investment-based residence and citizenship programs (RCBI) are also of interest to entrepreneurs in the context of cross-border business activities.
Previously, this type was mainly associated with the need to live or educate the next generation. However, along with the process of expanding the market of enterprises, many investors began to view residency or second citizenship as a supporting factor for establishing and operating business activities in multiple countries.
When founders or leadership teams can legally live and work in the target market, businesses often find it easier to establish companies, meet partners, and implement investment projects. As a result, residency rights are seen as an operational advantage in the international business environment.
According to Harvey Law Group (HLG), some investors approach immigration investment similarly to managing an asset portfolio. With this approach, residency and citizenship are viewed as strategic options that can be combined to increase flexibility in response to changes in immigration, investment, or business policies among countries.
The portfolio may include citizenship through investment with relatively fast processing times to support international mobility, residency rights in countries with stable legal environments for settlement or education purposes, or citizenship by descent if family conditions allow. Diversifying residency options helps investors maintain contingency plans when regulations in each market change.
Mr. Jean-François Harvey, founder and managing lawyer of Harvey Law Group, stated that many entrepreneurs are not looking for a single program but are interested in building a long-term residency strategy that aligns with their international business plans.
“In the context of rapidly changing global policies, preparing various residency options can help entrepreneurs maintain flexibility and proactivity in their business operations,” he said.
Representatives of Harvey Law Group also believe that the trend of building residency portfolios may increase in the coming years as Asian entrepreneurs continue to expand their operations into many international markets. This rising demand also makes choosing the right program more complex, as each country has different regulations related to investment, residency, and taxation.
Founded in 1992, Harvey Law Group is an international law firm specializing in advising on investment-based residency and citizenship programs, with a network of offices in various regions such as Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific.
In the context of immigration and investment policies potentially changing between 2026-2028, updating information and direct communication with experts is considered a necessary preparation step for many investors.