10 on The Weekend – Inês Azevedo: “Never Seen So Many Americans Desperate For a Plan B”

Ten On The Weekend is a weekly feature on IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each weekend, we ask the same ten questions of a different industry figure, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might in an ordinary business setting.

This weekend’s guest is Inês Azevedo of Azevedo Legal.

How do you spend your weekends?
My weekends are usually spent with the family or sightseeing around Portugal. There is much to discover in Portugal, even for us locals. Unfortunately, since COVID started, I’ve had to spend some weekends managing the craziness that the pandemic brought to the borders and helping out some clients that, due to the constant change of the rules of each country, get stuck in the legislative vacuum. Sometimes, I feel that my clients are like Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal and that it’s my job to solve the problem (so far so good).

What are your top three business goals this year?

1. To survive the economic crisis;
2. To help restore faith in the Portuguese migration system
3. To increase the number of foreign highly qualified persons and investors in Portugal*

*Portugal is still one of the best and safest countries in which to live and invest, especially during COVID.

What’s your biggest business concern right now?
My biggest concern, from the business and COVID-19 perspective, is the ability to bring new investors to Portugal, especially those investors from outside the Schengen area.

Which book is on your night-stand right now?
I have two books on my night-stand; Exodus: How Migration Is Changing Our World by Paul Coulier and Livro do Desassossego by Fernando Pessoa.

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?
My first client was a Lebanese investor living in Dubai who was a friend of a friend. 

What was your proudest moment as a service provider?
I have some nice moments under my belt already but there are two that have a special place in my heart.

One was recent. I had clients with young children attending boarding school overseas. They had been separated from their parents for three weeks due to COVID-19 and we managed to get them reunited even though airlines were closed. The other one was a great investment that took place in Portugal that was a win for my client and for the whole country.

Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?
The United States became an interesting investor source market. Many Americans seem a bit desperate for a Plan B now, which is something I have never seen before.

If you could go 10 years back in time, what business decision would you change?
None. But if I could change the past, the big decision would be to start focusing exclusively on immigration law much earlier.

What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?
I admire Karim Ghandour from Legacy Line.

If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?
Five years from now, I would love to be the Portuguese sponsor focused on developing the migration strategy for Europe, as there is still a lot of work to do, especially on the discriminatory treatment of migrants.