The CBI Index: 2018 brings both significant change and new challenges
The citizenship by investment industry has seen significant changes since 2017, from programmes lowering their minimum investment requirements, to fostering accountability among stakeholders
Now in its second year, the CBI Index ranks and reviews today’s active citizenship by investment programmes, providing a practical and comprehensive guide to persons wanting to compare the world’s options for economic citizenship.
Further reading
Since last year, the citizenship by investment industry has seen significant changes, from programmes lowering their minimum investment requirements, to fostering accountability among stakeholders. New challenges have also emerged, with cryptocurrency being a major talking point. The CBI Index reflects these changes, and seeks to provide a starting point for further discussion of these issues and the compelling questions they may raise.
Two new nations, Jordan and Turkey, launched their own citizenship by investment programmes, becoming the first Middle Eastern nations to fully develop an option for economic citizenship
The 2018 CBI Index has seen the removal of Comoros from its list of citizenship by investment programmes, following the programme’s termination. However, green shoots have emerged from Comoros’ demise, as two new nations, Jordan and Turkey, launched their own citizenship by investment programmes. In so doing, these countries became the first Middle Eastern nations to fully develop an option for economic citizenship, setting a regional record and standing as a testament to the industry’s growing popularity.
The CBI Index therefore now comprises an expanded total of 13 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cyprus, Dominica, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Turkey, and Vanuatu.
Armed with new material gathered from countries’ legislation, application forms and guidance materials, official circulars and data channels, and direct communication with governments and their formal affiliates, the CBI Index dispenses the latest industry information. At the same time, it follows the format of the inaugural 2017 edition, measuring the value of each citizenship by investment country by its performance in seven categories, or ‘pillars’, and thereby delivering continuity to its readers.
Ranging from ‘mandatory travel or residence’ to ‘due diligence’, the CBI Index pillars give readers the opportunity to appraise programmes according to specific criteria rather than merely as a whole. However, for those who want to quickly determine the year’s best and worst citizenship by investment options, individual pillar scores are also aggregated to produce a final, overall score.
