Common Investor Route Questions
Is the UK Tier 1 (Investor) Visa still open in 2026?
The UK Government permanently closed the Tier 1 (Investor) visa to new applicants on 17 February 2022. The closure followed a government review that found the route carried inherent security and economic-value risks, with cases linked to illicit finance. It is no longer possible to secure UK residency through passive investment in government bonds or share capital. The UK still welcomes capital-backed relocation, but through active channels now: business-expansion routes for owners relocating an existing company and its leadership, and founder-track visas for scalable new ventures. These reward operating businesses, not passive capital. Are you looking to expand an existing company, relocate your team, or launch a new venture? Declare your capital band and access our priority calendar. Source: UK Parliament, Written Ministerial Statement, 12 Jan 2023. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is the US EB-5 visa still an option for investors?
Yes, EB-5 is still open, but it isn't the programme HNIs remember. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 reauthorized it through 30 September 2027, and added mandatory annual Integrity Fund fees, five-yearly regional-center audits, and materially tighter source-of-funds scrutiny than the pre-2022 version of the programme. EB-5 remains viable, but the compliance bar is significantly higher than a few years ago, which is exactly the kind of detail worth getting right before committing capital. For founders and executives already running a business, active enterprise-expansion routes into the US can also sit alongside or instead of EB-5. Get matched with the right route and a coach who can walk you through current requirements. Source: USCIS, "EB-5 What's New". Reviewed 9 September 2026.
What happened to Canada's investor visa? Can I still buy my way into Canadian residency?
Canada terminated its Federal Immigrant Investor Program in 2014, stating in its official announcement that the programme delivered "limited economic benefit," attracted little genuinely new capital, and was associated with weaker language-integration outcomes than other economic-immigration categories. Quebec's Investor Program (QIIP), the last passive-capital route in the country, has been repeatedly suspended and reopened with progressively tighter criteria, including new language requirements. Canada now prioritises active founder and business-expansion pathways over passive capital. For owners looking to relocate a company, its leadership, or its team, there are structured routes to do exactly that. See which active route fits your business and your team. Source: Government of Canada, official notice, Feb 2014. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Can I still get Portugal's Golden Visa by buying property?
No. Portugal removed real estate, residential, commercial, and rehabilitation purchases alike, as a qualifying Golden Visa investment on 7 October 2023, through Lei 56/2023 (the "Mais Habitacao" housing law), introduced in response to domestic housing-affordability pressure. Property is off the table, but capital-backed relocation into Europe isn't. Active business-expansion and founder-track routes remain open for owners and executives who want to build a genuine presence, not just hold an asset. Explore active European routes for your business. Source: Diário da República, Lei n.º 56/2023, de 6 de outubro. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is the Spain Golden Visa still available?
No. Spain's Congress voted to abolish the Golden Visa programme (177 votes to 170); the repeal law was published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado on 3 January 2025 and took effect on 3 April 2025, closing the programme to new applicants. Visas issued before that date remain valid. As with Portugal, the passive property route is closed, but active business and founder routes into Spain and the wider EU remain open to capital-backed relocation. See what's still possible in Spain and the EU. Source: Boletín Oficial del Estado, Ley Orgánica 1/2025, de 2 de enero. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is Greece's Golden Visa still open, and how much do I need to invest now?
Still open, but no longer the bargain route it once was. Since February 2023, Greece has raised its minimum real-estate investment thresholds region by region: up to 500,000 euros in Athens, Thessaloniki and the most in-demand islands from 2023, then restructured in 2024 into a 400,000 to 800,000 euro band depending on region and property type, applying to purchases made after 31 July 2023 (with limited transitional deadlines for buyers already underway, running through April 2025). Greece is still one of the more accessible EU routes, but which region and property type qualifies at which price is exactly the kind of detail that trips people up without guidance. Active founder and business routes elsewhere in Europe are also worth comparing before committing capital. Get the current thresholds right, or compare against active alternatives. Source: Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy, Housing Policy Portal (official government site). Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Can I still buy Maltese (EU) citizenship?
No. On 29 April 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled (Case C-181/23, Commission v Malta) that Malta's investor citizenship scheme, naturalisation granted in exchange for payment, without a genuine link to the country, breaches EU law and the mutual trust that EU citizenship depends on. This ruling effectively ends golden-passport citizenship via Malta. EU access through passive payment is closed, but active business and founder routes into the EU remain fully open for owners and executives building a genuine presence. Explore active EU routes for your business. Source: Court of Justice of the European Union, Press Release No 52/25, 29 April 2025. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is Grenada's Citizenship by Investment programme still available?
Yes, Grenada's CBI programme is fully active. What's changed is the pricing and vetting: under the 2024 Caribbean CBI Memorandum of Agreement, Grenada and four other Caribbean nations standardised a $200,000 minimum investment floor, added enhanced post-approval due diligence (including US Treasury-aligned vetting), and restricted how agents can market the programme. The steep-discount, lightly-vetted era some older articles describe is over. This is a direct fit for our Ecosystem Referral Network: vetted, licensed partners, current pricing, and none of the outdated claims still circulating online. Get a same-week introduction through our vetted CBI partners. Source: Grenada Citizenship by Investment Committee (official government site). Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is St Kitts and Nevis still the easiest passport to buy?
St Kitts and Nevis runs the original CBI programme in the world, established in 1984, and it's still active. But it's no longer the fastest or cheapest option some older articles describe: the same 2024 Caribbean-wide Memorandum of Agreement that reset Grenada's pricing raised the regional minimum investment floor and added mandatory enhanced due diligence across all five Caribbean CBI nations, St Kitts included. As with Grenada, this is a direct-fit case for our vetted partner network rather than a redirect elsewhere: current pricing, current due diligence requirements, and a licensed route. Get matched with a vetted St Kitts and Nevis partner. Source: St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (official government site). Reviewed 9 September 2026.
Is Australia's Significant Investor Visa still open?
No. Australia closed the Significant Investor and Premium Investor streams (part of the Business Innovation and Investment Subclass 188) to new applications on 31 July 2024, replacing them with the National Innovation Visa, a merit- and innovation-based route rather than a passive-capital one. Passive investment is off the table in Australia now; active business-expansion and skilled-founder routes are the path in, and they reward an operating business rather than a bank balance. Explore Australia's active founder and business routes. Source: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, BIIP closure and refunds. Reviewed 9 September 2026.
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