Government-led programs that grant citizenship in return for a qualifying investment, typically involving real estate purchases, government fund contributions, or investments in local businesses. Specialized legal and advisory firms support individuals and businesses through the process.
Main/
Citizenship-by-Investment Programs
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Code
PS0002
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Name
Citizenship-by-Investment Programs
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Version
1.0
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Category
Professional & Advisory Services
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Created
2025-03-14
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Modified
2025-04-02
Related Techniques
- Criminals misrepresent their background and asset sources to obtain alternate passports or residency, circumventing stricter KYC in other jurisdictions.
- Once issued new travel documents, they open accounts and move funds internationally under different identities, reducing scrutiny.
- Weak vetting or corruption in certain programs enables fast-track approvals, ensuring anonymity and undermining AML controls.
- Criminals inject illicit proceeds into qualifying investments (e.g., real estate or government funds), obtaining legitimate passports or residency permits that reduce AML scrutiny.
- They often hide or falsify their background and the origin of funds, exploiting weak due diligence standards to secure official documentation under a new identity.
- Once the new identity is established, criminals avoid enhanced due diligence triggers associated with their real profiles, facilitating cross-border fund movement.
- Enables introduction of illicit funds into officially sanctioned investment pathways, allowing criminals to present suspect capital as legally sourced.
- Some applicants seek new citizenship or residency to evade sanctions or heighten anonymity, bypassing AML scrutiny by obscuring their true identities and fund origins.