“Every Half Hour There is a New Email Enquiry”: Investment Migration People in the News This Week

Investment migration people in the news this week included:

• David Lesperance of Lesperance & Associates
• Dominic Volek of Henley & Partners
• Christopher Willis of Latitude Consultancy
• Armand Arton of Arton Capital
• Maryem Essadik of Marfour International Law Firm
• Yılmaz Ozdemir of Yılmaz Consultancy
• Evan Green of Green and Spiegel
• Suchitra Ravi of Sovereign PPG
• Ajay Sharma of Abhinav Immigration Services
• Parth Vakil of Ek.indUS
• Piyush Gupta of CanAm Enterprises
• Varun Singh of XIPHIAS Immigration

Fortune – American searches for ‘how to move to England’ increase 10-fold in wake of U.S. election

David Lesperance, an international tax and immigration advisor working with the ultra-wealthy, previously told Fortune before the election that the outcome of the presidential election wasn’t really influencing his clients’ desire to move.

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“Even if Kamala Harris wins the US presidency, her supporters know that almost half of their fellow citizens want a MAGA America,” says Lesperance. “The ripping away of the mask of polite society and the exposure of ugliness underneath will still inspire a significant number of Americans to seek solace abroad.”

Radar – TRUMP EXODUS: How Millions of America’s Wealthiest are Planning to Flee ‘Tinderbox’ Nation — With Record Numbers of Passports Issued

Dominic Volek, the group head of private clients at Henley & Partners, a company that advises the wealthy on international migration, explained: “We’ve never seen demand like we see now.”

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Volek revealed that the number of American citizens focusing on plans to move abroad is up at least 30 percent since 2023.

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David Lesperance, managing partner of an international tax and immigration firm, also shared his clients are leaving because of “politics and fear of violence.”

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He added: “For some of them, the primary thing is ‘I don’t want to live in a MAGA America.'”

Fortune – No matter who wins the election, experts expect ‘a significant number’ of rich Americans to flee the country

It’s a common joke that the Canadian immigration website crashes the morning after the U.S.’ election day, Christopher Willis, managing partner at global residence provider, Latitude Consultancy, tells Fortune. It’s not unheard of either, as the site crashed when former President Donald Trump won in 2016.

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“We’re expecting a surge of interest, irrespective [of who wins],” said Willis, explaining that before President Biden withdrew from the race, many saw Trump winning the presidency as “a foregone conclusion.” Now, “people are saying, well, let’s just wait and see.” Noting there’s been “a bit of a calm before the storm,” Willis still expects “a very busy end of the year.”

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David Lesperance, an international tax and immigration advisor working with the ultra-wealthy, has worked for families seeking second residency or citizenship since the 1990s. At first, the first motive was tax-driven, he tells Fortune. But since 2016, there’s been a 400% increase in Americans who seek a profession to execute a backup plan—and four out of five of these clients are motivated by “non-tax concerns for the future well-being of their families,” something Lesperance attributes to the increased political polarization over the last two election cycles. 

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“Americans are engulfed in a political wildfire,” Lesperance said. “Their natural reaction is to fight the political wildfire through voting, lobbying, political donations etc. However, many realize that even with their most earnest firefighting efforts, it is called a wildfire for a reason. That is why they are getting the fire insurance of a second residence or citizenship.”

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“The rising political division at home is prompting many affluent Americans to explore a “Plan B” overseas,”  Armand Arton, CEO and chairman at Arton Capital, said, adding that it fuels “unprecedented interest” in said programs. “Economic uncertainty is a common thread, with a majority of both Harris and Trump voters fearing for the future of the economy. This trend is unlikely to abate in the immediate wake of the election.”

The Pinnacle Gazette – Wealthy Americans Prepare For Exile After Elections

David Lesperance, who advises ultra-wealthy families on international tax and residency issues, notes there has been explosive growth—specifically, around 400%—in the number of Americans pursuing residency programs since 2016, driven largely by fears associated with political and social unrest. Interestingly, four out of five clients are now motivated by factors beyond taxes, largely influenced by the political polarization gripping the nation. Lesperance described the current climate as “a political wildfire,” leading many to seek out what he refers to as “fire insurance”—a safety net represented by second residence or citizenship.

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Interestingly, more than half of American millionaires—about 53%—plan to leave the U.S. after the election, no matter the outcome. The trend is particularly pronounced among younger respondents, who seem more inclined to explore opportunities abroad. Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, noted, “Rising political division is compelling affluent Americans to create their ‘Plan B’ overseas, driven by economic concerns shared across the electorate.

Business Tech – How much it costs to ‘pay your way’ out of South Africa

Henley & Partners, a global leader in investment migration advisory, worked with New World Wealth to publish this wealth report.

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It notes that interest in residency and citizenship by investment programs is surging worldwide, offering individuals an opportunity to diversify their financial portfolios geographically while enhancing travel freedom and access to global business networks.

The New European – The end of Spain’s golden visa

Maryem Essadik, an immigration lawyer at Marfour International Law Firm, which helps foreigners to get visas to live in Spain, says: “We expect one day they will say ‘today it’s the end of the golden visa’.

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“When the news came out, a lot of people started to contact us. Before, we had a few requests a week for the golden visa. Now, it’s every day. People are asking us, what’s going to happen? I was planning to buy property, should I buy it? Wait? When will it be approved? We’ve had a lot of questions but not many answers.”

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Maryem Essadik says: “Others’ experience has shown us that normally when a change in the law is approved, it comes in sometimes two to nine months later. So we still have time. But we must emphasise that there are also plenty of other visas, more stable in the long term, that enable you to live in Spain.”

Daily Mail – Gorgeous sunny villas cost £300k. Food, bills and healthcare are cheap. And there’s even a ‘golden’ passport. That’s why so many Brits are retiring to Turkey – and our experts reveal how you can too

But the property must be purchased from a Turkish citizen – or a property developer. At the land registry they must declare they will not sell it for three years, according to Yılmaz Ozdemir of Yılmaz Consultancy, a residency adviser (yilmazdanismanlik.net).

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‘Once the residence permit is approved, they can apply for citizenship. If the foreigner already owns a property they purchased for $150,000, they can purchase another property for $250,000.’

Times Now – Canada To Portugal: Top Easiest Countries For Americans To Move To After Trump Win

“Every half hour there is a new email enquiry,” Evan Green, managing partner at Canadian immigration law firm, Green and Spiegel, said.

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“Trump is obviously the impetus, but it’s also societal. The majority of Americans voted for him and some people don’t necessarily feel comfortable living in that kind of society anymore. People are afraid they are going to lose freedoms,” he added.

Gulf News – More UAE free zones rush to offer freelancer visas at under Dh10,000 fees

“The DMCC freelance license and visa scheme comes in three packages, depending on the individual’s requirements and providing options for licensing and a residence visa,” said Suchitra Ravi, Corporate Structuring Manager at Sovereign PPG, a Dubai-based consultancy. “The first package provides a 1-year license with no visa; the second offers the same 1-year license with a 1-year residence visa; and the third provides a 2-year license and 2-year residence visa.”

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“Freelancer visas are perfect for (want-to-be) entrepreneurs who would like to test the market and still offer services legally,” said Suchitra. “The costs associated with these freelance licenses are typically dependent on whether the applicant requires a visa and a license – and the term of the license.”

Business Standard – Trump is back! Impact on H-1B, EB-5 visas, & green card aspirations decoded

The Republican leader is known to be tough on immigration; in fact, much of his campaign centred around the increase in illegal immigration under the Biden-Harris administration. His previous term saw a raft of immigration policies that affected skilled professionals and students, particularly those holding H-1B, F-1, and H-4 visas. However, Ajay Sharma, an immigration expert and founder of Abhinav Immigration Services, believes Trump’s return could lead to fresh opportunities for Indians seeking legal immigration routes.  

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“So let us get into the basics,” Sharma explained. “Trump’s platform focused on deporting illegal migrants, and with an estimated 10 million undocumented people in the US, his actions could open doors for skilled migrants. Indians, who largely use legal routes like the H-1B for work or F-1 for study, may find new opportunities in the US if the administration prioritises skilled migration over family-based immigration.”  

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“Restrictive immigration policies could complicate visa statuses for highly skilled Indians, exposing them to an arbitrary lottery system beyond their control. For Indian students, especially for those in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, there may be concerns over restrictions on Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students to work legally for up to a year after they graduate. Such changes could severely impact students pursuing finance or banking internships, too,” said Parth Vakil, founding partner of Ek.indUS.  

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“The EB-5 programme has consistently provided a stable route for investors seeking US residency. Indian investors can continue to use this to mitigate the uncertainties tied to H-1B applications,” said Piyush Gupta, vice president of CanAm Enterprises.  

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Varun Singh, managing director of XIPHIAS Immigration, noted that while this could benefit highly skilled Indians, recent graduates might struggle to meet the new merit-based thresholds.  

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“Trump’s stance on merit-based selection aligns with his pro-business outlook, potentially making the H-1B system more competitive for skilled Indians,” Singh said. However, he added that balancing these slots against the demand for high-skilled roles would remain essential.