Would Not Sign “Controversial” Tate as a Client: Investment Migration People in the News This Week

Investment migration people in the news this week included:

• Philippe May of EC Holdings
• Isabela Schrotke of Nomad Capitalist
• Jen Barnett of Expatsi
• Astons
• Stuart Nash of Nash Kelly Global
• Kashif Ansari of IQI
• Lau Hai-suen of Investment Promotion Alpha
• Rajneesh Pathak of Global North Residency and Citizenship
• Navneet S Chugh of Chugh LLP
• Mark Davies and Sukanya Raman of Davies & Associates
• David Lesperance of Lesperance & Associates

OCCRP – EXCLUSIVE: Influencer Andrew Tate got Vanuatu Passport Around Time of Arrest on Rape Charges

But Philippe May, the head of citizenship by investment firm EC Holdings, said waiting for a criminal verdict wasn’t good enough and that countries should take factors like character into account when granting citizenship. 

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“The criteria applied by the government should be based on the moral values of the country and the beliefs of its people,” he said. 

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May said he would have declined to take Tate as a client “because of reputational issues.” 

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“He is way too controversial,” he said.

Forbes – Argentina To Launch New Citizenship Program: Here’s What You Need To Know

The South American country is rolling out a new citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program that will help make it easier for foreigners to get citizenship there. According to Isabela Schrotke, research team lead at Nomad Capitalist, the program will require a minimum investment of $500,000 in sectors like technology, agribusiness, energy or tourism. It is expected to launch by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

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“The focus is on job-generating contributions—not real estate or donations,” Schrotke told me in an interview. “Two executive decrees are being drafted to create a solid legal and administrative structure that avoids future court challenges.”

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Not everyone agrees. Jen Barnett, founder of Expatsi—which helps Americans find places to live abroad—is skeptical. “I don’t think Argentina is a safe choice in its current political climate that includes a recent incident where lesbians were set on fire, not to mention out-of-control inflation,” Barnett told me in an interview. “We recommend Uruguay instead, which is a stable democracy that eliminated laws against homosexuality in 1934.”

New York Post – Here’s the country that Americans want to leave the US for the most

“Portugal rose to prominence by offering friendly programs for taxes and visas for foreigners, including allowing them to gain residency through buying homes,” explains Expatsi co-founder Jen Barnett.

GTP – Greece Attracts Investors After EU Court Ends Malta’s Citizenship Program

Astons analysed global search trends following the April 2025 ruling and found a notable surge in interest for Greece’s Golden Visa. The search score for “Greece Golden Visa” rose to 33.75, placing it well behind Portugal’s 67.25 but significantly ahead of Cyprus at 15.25.

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Astons notes that several Greek regions have seen double-digit property price growth over the past year. Leading the pack is Piraeus in Attica, with prices up 27.8 percent year-on-year. Kavala (+20.9 percent) and Chios (+20.6 percent) also show strong momentum.

Bloomberg – Former New Zealand Minister on Golden Visa Surge

Stuart Nash, Former New Zealand Minister for Economic Development and Co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, discusses the outlook for US-New Zealand relations and the surge in golden visa applications. He speaks with Haslinda Amin on the “Insight with Haslinda Amin.”

Bernama – Reformed MM2H Programme Boosts Economy With Nearly RM1 Bln Annual Investments — IQI

IQI co-founder and group chief executive officer Kashif Ansari said the latest official data reveals that the June 2024 revisions to the MM2H visa programme have already generated RM455.8 million in new investments and 782 new visa approvals.

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“At the current pace, that would work out to nearly RM1 billion per annum,” he said in a statement today.

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“The other top nations for MM2H applicants, after China and Australia, are South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom,” he said.

The Standard – New CIES draws over 1,200 applications and billions of funds on the way

Director-General of Investment Promotion Alpha Lau Hai-suen expressed confidence that the new scheme will attract more talent and investment to the city, underlining Hong Kong’s resilience and solid foundation for a stable business environment for global investors.

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Lau stated that InvestHK will continue to work closely with professionals and stakeholders to further promote the initiative to worldwide professional talents.

The Economic Times – With US grudging visas, students veer to EB-5; applications for Green Card category up by more than 100%

“There is a sharp jump in EB-5 applications,” said Rajneesh Pathak, founder of Global North Residency and Citizenship, an immigration law firm. “But unlike previous years, when we had most-ly H-1B visa holders applying, the interest from F-1 visa holders has risen by 100% over the last few months.”

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“Roughly one-third of my new immigration consultations now involve students worried about how US politics could affect their status,” said Navneet S Chugh, attorney, who runs the firm. Last year, Chugh’s firm was handling one or two EB-5 inquiries a quarter from students but this spring, it is fielding five to seven a month.

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“In some instances, what once took three years is now being processed in as little as three months,” said its founder and chairman, Mark Davies. This flexibility allows applicants to live and work freely in the US while their Green Card cases are pending, said Davies.

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Students holding a Green Card have legal protection that F-1 visa holders do not have. “We are advising students to maximise their time within the US and avoid unnecessary foreign travel or extended breaks,” said Sukanya Raman, country head, Davies and Associates.

Financial Planning – In tax and tariff unknowns, experts see opportunity for advisors

Many high net worth and ultrahigh net worth clients who work with David Lesperance, the founder of immigration tax and law advisory firm Lesperance & Associates, are already seeking to get “all the pieces in place and all the planning done” with an eye toward “maximizing optionality to be able to deal with the unpredictable,” he said. “They just don’t know, so the key is to be prepared for any contingency and to be able to execute quicker than the legislature, which is generally possible.”