Global mobility planning: citizenship by investment, residence by investment and the U.S. E-2
Information checked: October 2026. Program rules and amounts change often; check the country's current official rules.
Many investors who want to run a business in the United States discover that their home country is not a U.S. E-2 treaty country — mainland China, for example, is not — so they can't apply for the E-2 investor visa directly. That has led to the idea of "first acquire a third-country status, then plan the U.S. visa." Others value a second passport for easier travel, or want residence in Europe or Latin America.
This section organizes these routes by country and program: what each route is, how much it takes to invest, what the residence requirements are, and the most important question — how it actually relates to U.S. visas, especially the E-2.
Our firm's role: Wang Law Firm, LLC provides U.S. immigration legal services only. The firm is not an authorized agent for any citizenship-by-investment program; it does not sell programs, does not receive program commissions, and does not handle citizenship or residence applications in other countries. Applications in other countries must be handled by locally licensed lawyers or government-authorized agents; our firm can coordinate with them and handle the later U.S. visa (such as E-2) planning.
First, two different concepts: citizenship by investment vs. residence by investment
| Citizenship by investment (CBI) | Residence by investment (often called a "golden visa") | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | That country's nationality and passport | A residence permit (temporary or permanent) in that country, not a passport |
| Typical countries | The five Caribbean countries, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and others | Panama, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Cyprus and others |
| How long until citizenship | The program itself grants citizenship | You must live there for years under the ordinary naturalization process before applying for citizenship, generally 5 to 10 years depending on the country |
| Usable directly for the U.S. E-2? | Only for E-2 treaty-country nationalities, and subject to the AMIGOS Act 3-year domicile requirement | No. A residence permit has nothing to do with E-2 by itself; you must first become a national of a treaty country |
Overview: country programs and how they relate to the U.S. E-2
The investment thresholds below are compiled according to 2026 public sources and are only meant to give a rough range; for E-2 treaty status, the U.S. Department of State treaty country list controls.
| Country | Program type | Main routes (according to 2026 public sources) | U.S. treaty status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenada | Citizenship by investment | Government fund contribution from $235,000; or purchase of approved real estate | E-2 | Grenada |
| Turkey | Citizenship by investment | Real estate purchase from $400,000, held for 3 years; other routes include deposits and government bonds | E-2 | Turkey |
| Egypt, Jordan | Citizenship by investment | Deposit, real estate or investment routes; thresholds and rules change often | E-2 | E-2 through a third-country nationality |
| St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia | Citizenship by investment | Contributions from roughly $200,000 to $250,000; or purchase of approved real estate | Not a treaty country | Comparing the five Caribbean programs |
| Panama | Residence by investment (permanent residence) | New rules from September 2026: $300,000 for new real estate, $500,000 for resale real estate, $500,000 to $750,000 in securities or deposits | E-2 | Panama |
| Portugal, Italy | Residence by investment | Portugal now has only fund, company and similar routes; Italy uses company investment, government bonds and similar methods | E-1, E-2 | European golden visas |
| Greece | Residence by investment | Real estate purchase in three tiers by region: €250,000, €400,000 and €800,000 | E-1 only (no E-2) | European golden visas |
| Hungary, Malta, Cyprus | Residence by investment | Funds, real estate purchase, or rental plus a contribution, among other methods | Not a treaty country | European golden visas |
Three important recent changes
- The AMIGOS Act 3-year domicile requirement. A provision that took effect in December 2022 with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263) provides that a person who acquired treaty-country nationality through a financial investment, and who has never previously been granted E status, must have been domiciled in that country for a continuous period of at least 3 years at any point before applying for an E visa. As a result, "buy a passport and apply for E-2 soon after" largely no longer works, and the overall timeline is considerably longer. See Applying for the U.S. E-2 through a third-country nationality.
- U.S. Presidential Proclamation 10998. Beginning January 1, 2026, it partially suspends immigrant visas and B, F, M and J visas for nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica. The proclamation does not cover E visas, but travel to the U.S. on these two countries' passports has become noticeably harder.
- Countries tightening their programs. The five Caribbean countries have set up a regional regulator and agreed on residence requirements (implementation timing depends on each country's announcements); the EU is pressuring Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs; no EU member state still has a citizenship-by-investment program; golden visas in Spain, Ireland and other countries have closed, and Portugal has eliminated its real estate route; Panama and Latvia adjusted their rules in 2026.
One point Chinese citizens need to note in particular
The Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality. Under Article 9 of that law, a Chinese citizen who has settled abroad and who voluntarily acquires or obtains a foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality. Before acquiring another nationality, consider the effect on your Chinese passport, household registration (hukou), assets in China and travel in and out of China, and consult a professional in Chinese law.
Articles in this section
- How investors from non-treaty countries such as China can apply for the U.S. E-2 through a third-country nationality: the AMIGOS Act, comparing countries that can lead to E-2, timelines and risks
- Comparing the five Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs: St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia
- Grenada citizenship by investment and the U.S. E-2
- Turkey citizenship by investment and the U.S. E-2
- Panama Qualified Investor permanent residence
- European residence by investment (golden visas) and the current state of citizenship by investment
Related reading
- E-2 investor visa hub
- How to write an E-2 business plan
- EB-5 investor immigration: a U.S. green card route that doesn't require a third-country nationality
- L-1 intracompany transfers: another option if you run a business entity in China
Want to invest and run a business in the U.S., but not sure whether to pursue E-2, EB-5 or L-1, or whether a third-country status is worth it? Book an attorney consultation. David Wang will help you compare the routes from a U.S. immigration law perspective.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Our firm provides U.S. immigration legal services only and is not an authorized agent for any citizenship-by-investment program; for citizenship or residence matters in other countries, please consult a locally licensed lawyer or a government-authorized agent.