How much would you pay for a 2nd Passport?

"Turmoil fuels market for second passports
A few countries allow people to buy citizenship for a hefty price"

"LONDON — For decades, the two-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis exported sugarcane to keep its economy afloat. When sugar prices fell, St. Kitts began to sell an even sweeter commodity: its citizenship.

For $250,000, a foreigner can buy full rights as a citizen there. The transaction can take as few as three months and applicants need never visit the nation's sandy shores.

The allure? St. Kitts citizens can travel without a visa to more than a hundred countries, including Canada and all of Europe. They pay no personal income taxes, and the island's remote location in the West Indies serves as a safe haven, should the need for a quick move ever arise.

Demand for a second passport is "way up," says David Lesperance, a Canadian immigration lawyer. Among his recent clients: an Egyptian pro-democracy activist who worries about instability in his country, and a Chicago businessman who is convinced that the Occupy movements will lead to riots. ..............................

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46359336/ns/world_news/#.Tzhc4WVdmqE

Loved the last line of the article...
"Today, it's not enough to just move your assets...today you have to move your ass too".

I guess this kind of thing has always been in place and will continue to exist until tax reform laws are in place. It would behoove the IRS (and other foreign government tax departments) to notice fairly quickly that a large proportion of their tax dollars will soon be "gone with the wind" if they don't act soon.

Not unusual to buy your way into a country. Canada did it with
Hong Kong folks when it went to China. You had to supply so
much money to invest or create so many jobs. Same thing in US
remember Ruppert Murdock he was Australian so he couldn't
own certain companies in US. Simple solution buy your way in.
It works this way in the majority of countries. Don't look for the
rules on line for this kinda stuff. Its part of the good old person
network.

Z

a lot less expensive in Panama. http://www.offshorelegal.org/immigration-2nd-passport--citizenship/panama-second-passports--second-citizenship/panamas-instant-passport-program.html

mrum wrote:a lot less expensive in Panama. http://www.offshorelegal.org/immigration-2nd-passport--citizenship/panama-second-passports--second-citizenship/panamas-instant-passport-program.html

Years ago Panama and Mexico fought a battle for expats. Mexico won by giving us the ability to keep our cars down here and such down here. Panama uses USD for
currency and when we looked Panama seemed expensive and hot and muggy unless you wanted to live in the hills at higher altitude in the boondocks near nothing.
Come to think of it it might appeal to some folks. Plane flights are expensive also. Panama like Costa Rica is too expensive nowadays. These days the best bang per
buck in central america is Nicaragua. Two different climates on both coasts. Prices are rising but still a deal.

Z

The way I understand it is you can get the Panama passport without even going there. So if all you want is that second passport, for whatever reason, it is very easy to obtain. Just send them the money. Its like a mail-in degree.

Spent a lot of time in Nicaragua in the 70's on the west coast and it was hot and muggy. Beautiful place and wonderful people but uggg, whatta sweat box.

I am a Canadian citizen who was born in England of English citizens. I'm an Inmigrado in Mexico and could also go for my citizenship here. So, that gives me access to three passports and not having to pay a dime more than the application fee for the other two passports.
Isn't anyone else in the same position? Check your heritage.

There are passports and there are passports. If you have an Great Britain
passport you just show up in the US have a nice time. If you have a
Mexican passport you pay $125USD for a three minute interview and you
don't get your money back if you are refused a Visa. It is the way it is in
the world. One passport is not equal to another passport and economics
is what it is all about.

Z

Ferret:

To answer your question - Yes! But I have no interest in obtaining a Mainland Chinese Passport.

Zed, the only reason I would want the other passports is to get through immigration faster since most airports have special lines for passport holders of that country. Unfortunately, this is not true in Canada at Pearson International. Everyone (and I mean every Tom, Dick and Harry from wherever) stands in the same line to go through immigration. It's a long and dreary process.

kinda like Toronto.... snork

ferret wrote:Zed, the only reason I would want the other passports is to get through immigration faster since most airports have special lines for passport holders of that country. Unfortunately, this is not true in Canada at Pearson International. Everyone (and I mean every Tom, Dick and Harry from wherever) stands in the same line to go through immigration. It's a long and dreary process.

Good reason I just didn't want people to think all passports are equal. Be glad you are going into Canada. Rather go into Canada than US and I am US.
We even get searched in a car LEAVING the US now including the obviously ex military woman who seemed to enjoy playing with her gun in front of me
like I was a criminal or something. So be glad you are Canadian. You could be US and have to go through customs in LA the worst in the world IMHO.

Z