2026 Investment Immigration Playbook: De-risking Second Citizenship

Authored By: Attorney Jean-François Harvey

If you think investment immigration today is about collecting passports as a hobby or niche curiosity, think again.

In 2026, perhaps more than ever, residency and citizenship by investment (RCBI) has become the foundation of a resilient risk‑management strategy for your family and your capital.

A smartly designed mobility strategy can de‑risk political shocks, tax changes, and travel restrictions – if it’s planned with the same care and discipline you apply to your balance sheet.

The Era of Portfolio Thinking

The geopolitical shifts we witnessed over the past year redefined some of the tenets of contemporary investment immigration.  

A “Plan A” that’s set in stone can become a structural risk overnight, when sudden moves – such as the recent U.S. suspension of immigrant visas for 75 countries – rock even mature and generally reliable political systems.

Clients who are serious about moving while avoiding unexpected risk now tend to consider a portfolio of citizenship and residence options rather than betting blindly on a single jurisdiction. That could mean combining and/or calibrating:

• A fast, direct citizenship by investment (for easier mobility and enhanced security)
• Residence rights in politically stable countries (for lifestyle, education, and business access)
• Ancestry‑based citizenship where available (often for cost efficiency and EU or OECD access)

In my experience, individuals, families and corporations who treat second citizenship as a risk management tool rather than a one‑off decision without second thought can withstand even the harshest winds of sudden policy tightening across jurisdictions.

Define Your Objectives & Fulfill Them

Citizenship and residency options vary from country to country, and what really matters is choosing a structure that fits your lifestyle.

In my practice, many clients often seek three broad (and simplified) strategic objectives:

• Speed and simplicity: As an example, Caribbean citizenship by investment (CBI) and Türkiye offer comparatively fast processing, limited or no stay requirements, and clear pricing, which suits entrepreneurs and C-suite executives who cannot immediately and physically relocate.
• EU access and future options: Residence‑by‑investment programs in countries like Portugal, Greece, Malta, Hungary, and many others trade speed for wide market access and long‑term flexibility.
• Legacy and cost efficiency: Citizenship by ancestry in countries such as Italy or France can be the most cost‑effective route, if the ancestry can be proved and clients are able to provide the required documentation.

A playbook designed for you starts with defining your objectives, such as mobility, tax planning, education, or asset protection. Then, consulting with experienced counsel, you map out which citizenship, residence, and/or ancestry options (or a combination of) best serves those goals.

A top-tip from my experience: clients who can list current passports, tax exposures, family locations, and business footprints are able to make faster, sound decisions that end up saving time.

Understand Risk, Save Time & Money

Even in reputable programs, risk tends to concentrate in three areas that deserve a closer look:

• Policy shifts and evolving rules: Caribbean CBI programs remain intact and valuable, but they are evolving. Regional regulation, harmonised standards, and closer scrutiny from the U.S. and EU have prompted updates cementing the long-term credibility of the programs. Applicants should work with experienced counsel to navigate the new and evolving rules.
• Due diligence and source‑of‑funds: Tighter global reporting and due diligence standards mean incomplete or poorly structured documentation can derail and delay an otherwise good application. High‑net‑worth investors should expect bank‑level scrutiny of transactions, corporate exits, and historic holdings.
• Tax and exit risk: A second citizenship or new residency can trigger tax‑residence changes, reporting obligations, or even exit‑tax procedures in your home country if handled without the necessary care and preparation.

Our files indicate the most successful applications are the ones where immigration, tax, and corporate structuring questions are all answered at the planning stage, and before any money has been put on the table.

Diversify Today, Enjoy Stability Tomorrow

Looking at the state of geopolitics, we are likely to see further shifts and changes. That’s why it’s crucial to stress-test the robustness of your RCBI plan against shock scenarios such as:

• Your primary destination suspends or changes key visa categories
• Ancestry rules narrow, or documentation standards rise
• EU or U.S. policy shifts affect visa‑free access for certain passports

Assessing your strategy this way, you might find a layered approach attractive as one policy change rarely blocks all options at once.

Diversifying today can lead to your stability tomorrow – for example, pairing a fast Caribbean or Turkish passport with an EU residence right, or combining an ancestry claim with a back‑up residence in a predictable common‑law jurisdiction such as Canada, the UK, or New Zealand.

Author Byline

Attorney Jean-François Harvey is the Founder and Managing Partner of Harvey Law Group, established in 1992. With over 30 years of experience in immigration and business law, he is renowned globally for his expertise in serving corporations and high-net-worth individuals. Under his leadership, Harvey Law Group has grown into the world’s leading investment immigration law firm with nearly 100 experts across offices in more than 20 countries. Harvey’s vision has expanded the firm’s reach to provide legal services across Canada, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and the United States, specializing in citizenship and residency by investment.