After the U.S. presidential election, Americans have shown a sharp increase in interest in "golden visas." UNN writes about this with reference to CNN.
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With Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, a wave of wealthy Americans who are Democratic Party voters and are seeking asylum abroad may migrate to Europe.
According to migration consultants, interest in "golden visas" increased immediately after the election. These visas allow people to effectively acquire foreign citizenship or residence permits through significant investments, such as in real estate, government bonds, or startups.
Representatives of Henley & Partners, which invented the concept of citizenship for investment in the 1990s, claim that the number of inquiries from US citizens through their website during the election week increased by almost 400% compared to the previous week. The company also said that most Americans do not plan to permanently move to a new country, but rather see it as an opportunity to obtain, for example, an insurance policy.
In Europe, they have begun to prepare for such a surge in demand for migration. For example, in one of the Italian towns on the island of Sardinia , the locals have launched a special website that offers the cheapest houses.
Growing demand for "golden visas" in the United States
According to statistics, there was no demand for "golden visas" among Americans until the pandemic, when, due to Covid-19, it was possible to enter Europe only with a European passport.
According to a report by Henley & Partners published earlier this year, demand has been on the rise since then, as well as increasing political divisions and social tensions in the United States. Since 2020, U.S. citizens have been the firm's largest cohort of applicants for investment migration programs.
Inquiries about "golden visas" from Americans have increased by 33% this year compared to last year, with programs in Europe being the most popular.
The most popular among Americans is Portugal's Golden Residence Permit Program, as it is relatively affordable and requires a minimum expenditure of 250,000 euros ($265,000) to support the arts or national cultural heritage. Popular countries among American migrants are Greece, Spain, and Italy. However, wealthier Americans with a net worth of $50 million or more are more likely to favor Malta or Austria, which offer a fast track to citizenship but at a much higher price.
Migration of ordinary Americans
"Golden visas" are available for more affluent segments of the US population. However, there are many discussions on social media about other methods of crossing the border.
For example, in an LGBT group on Reddit, shortly before the election, one user wrote that he and his husband believed that "leaving the US as refugees might be necessary if Trump wins.