By Manpreet Kataria, Managing Director, Alpha Immigration Associates
Our weekly reading of the investment-migration news that matters to clients in the Gulf, South Asia and the wider world, with Investment Migration Insider (IMI) as the primary source for each item. This week the common thread is enforcement: governments are showing, in different ways, that what they grant they can also review.
Vanuatu’s Citizenship Office denies it has revoked Andrew Tate’s citizenship
A report on 21 September said Vanuatu had reversed its 2025 decision and revoked the citizenship granted to Andrew Tate. On 24 September the Citizenship Office disputed that account and said no revocation decision had been taken. The Vanuatu Investment Migration Bureau told IMI that a ruling is expected shortly, so this is a live matter rather than a closed one.
What it means for our clients: nothing about the programme’s price, process or eligibility has changed. What the episode does show is that the government reviews high-profile files and responds publicly, which is how a credible programme should behave. For ordinary applicants the protection is the same as ever: a complete, honest file with clean due diligence. Our Vanuatu programme page sets out the current requirements. Source: IMI.
Türkiye moves to revoke 1,070 more citizenships over sham property sales
A second enforcement operation targets citizenships obtained through property transactions that were not genuine at the qualifying value. According to IMI, 6,134 citizenships have already been cancelled and a further 1,757 are in proceedings, which makes this a rolling clean-up rather than a single sweep.
What it means for our clients: the real-estate route remains open at US$400,000, but the value has to be real. That means an independent valuation that clears the threshold, a price that matches the market, and funds that visibly move from the buyer to the seller. We confirm valuation in writing before any client commits. More on the route on our Türkiye citizenship page. Source: IMI.
How citizenship-by-investment countries revoke citizenship
A companion analysis walks through revocation powers across the programmes. Every country can take back citizenship it granted; the grounds are typically broad and rest on ministerial satisfaction, and the time an individual has to respond ranges from seven days to sixty.
What it means for our clients: revocation risk sits almost entirely with misrepresentation and undisclosed history. Declaring everything at the outset is the cheapest insurance available. Source: IMI.
Which citizenship programmes now require you to show up
IMI’s review finds that a 30-day physical-presence rule agreed for the five Eastern Caribbean programmes has not yet started. Most in-person steps in force today, including biometrics, interviews and oaths, can still be completed outside the issuing country.
What it means for our clients: the practical burden today is small, but anyone applying to a Caribbean programme, St Lucia included, should plan on the assumption that a presence requirement arrives during the life of the passport. Compare the current rules side by side on our CBI programmes data page. Source: IMI.
What banks actually ask when you open an account on a CBI passport
IMI found no published bank rule that refuses customers because they acquired citizenship by investment. The questions banks do ask trace back to the OECD’s list of potentially high-risk programmes and to a 2023 report on earlier passports.
What it means for our clients: expect to disclose all your nationalities and your tax residence when you open an account. A second passport is a mobility and continuity asset; it is not a way to change where you are taxed, and banks will treat it accordingly. Source: IMI.
Malaysia tightens checks on MM2H participants doing business
Malaysia’s tourism minister has asked the Immigration Department to step up checks on MM2H participants running businesses without permission. Business activity is listed as permissible only on the Platinum tier, which accounts for a small fraction of the programme’s participants.
What it means for our clients: a residence visa rarely carries the right to work or trade by default. Before you rely on any residency for business, confirm exactly which activities your tier allows. Source: IMI.
San Marino rewrites its entrepreneur residency route
Amendments passed at ratification ease the hiring requirement for San Marino’s entrepreneur residency, fix a €10,000 floor under its flat-tax regime while closing a treaty gap, and add twice-yearly reporting to parliament.
What it means for our clients: small European jurisdictions continue to compete for founders and mobile professionals with simplified residence routes. These are niche options, but worth a look for clients who genuinely intend to relocate. Source: IMI.
Twenty-two US states sue over the new green-card benefits rule
New York is leading a 22-state lawsuit against a federal rule that weighs food-stamp and Medicaid use in green-card decisions. The Department of Homeland Security projects lower benefit payouts but says it cannot estimate how many applications the test will deny.
What it means for our clients: US permanent residency is becoming slower and less predictable. That is one reason US-connected families increasingly hold a second citizenship alongside their American plans rather than instead of them. Source: IMI.
Alpha’s view
This week’s stories point the same way. Türkiye is unwinding citizenships built on inflated property prices, the Caribbean is preparing presence rules, banks are asking sharper questions, and even a residency visa in Malaysia is being policed for what it permits. None of this makes second citizenship less useful. It makes the quality of the file the thing that matters most. The programmes are still open, and the families who benefit are the ones whose source of funds reconciles, whose history is disclosed and whose paperwork would survive a second look. Start with the full list of citizenship programmes we advise on, and talk to us before you commit capital.
Ready to explore your options? Schedule a free consultation with our expert team, or message us directly on WhatsApp to get started.