Expat Citizenship News

19 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Buy to let curse hits Amsterdam property market

Along with a number of other global cities, Amsterdam is asking the UN to help with the issue of investor purchases of local properties. With the Dutch housing market at its highest level ever and demand exceeding supply, the Amsterdam authorities, together with New York, London, Barcelona and Paris, is begging the UN to help deal with the worsening situation. The problems are being caused by ever-increasing numbers of international investors buying up real estate in order to flip or rent at high prices unaffordable either by locals...

19 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Nicaragua political violence sees US expats heading home

Once seen as one of the top ten expat hubs for American expatriates, Nicaragua’s escalating political violence is resulting in a mass exodus of US nationals back to the home country. As the death toll resulting from Nicaragua’s political protests mounts and violence spreads from Managua to the expatriate havens of Leon and Granada, foreign residents are packing up and heading home in a hurry. One thing’s for certain, the country’s reputation as a peaceful expat hot spot is now on hold, with no-one sure what will happen next....

16 Jul at 6 PM 2018

White paper loses some 800000 Brit expats in EU

The mystery loss of some 800,000 UK expats formerly listed as living in EU member states is confusing, to say the least. Until the publication of Theresa May’s white paper on Brexit, an estimate of around 1.2 million British expats was considered accurate by government spokespersons and the media alike, and is still used as a total by the BBC, various British in Europe campaign groups and many other media outlets. It’s been quoted as accurate by the independent think-tank Migration Watch and also by the UK in a Changing Europe...

16 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Theresa May crackdown on UK Golden Visas not working

Applications for the UK’s extremely expensive Golden Visa have increased by 46 per cent since the UK government’s crackdown. In spite of a UK government crackdown aimed at rooting out corrupt, illicit money-laundered cash flowing to the UK via the Golden Visa scheme, applications from the global super-rich are still pouring in. Some 400 ultra-wealthy expat investors have taken up the offer of a Tier 1 visa since the year to 31 March, an increase of 46 per cent over figures for the previous tax year. Requirements for staying in...

12 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Expat exodus from Saudi prompts hiring crisis

The Saudi crown prince’s efforts to drag Saudi Arabia screaming into the modern world are laudable, but seem to be leading to an economic crisis of confidence. Many in the Kingdom see the programme as ambitious but unrealistic, especially those business owners affected by the Saudization plan responsible for a mass exodus of expat labour. Since the end of 2016, some 800,000 foreign employees have left for good and it’s proving almost impossible to get local citizens to fill the job vacancies. It seems the scheme to provide around...

6 Jul at 6 PM 2018

New European campaign group nominated for Schwatzkopf Europe Award

Campaign group New European’s GreenCard4Europe initiative has just been nominated for the prestigious Schwarzkopf Europe Award. The anti-Brexit group is dedicated to retaining freedom of movement across Europe for expats living in the UK and all across the continent. Organisers are calling for young Europeans under the age of 35 to vote in order to keep up pressure on lawmakers to consider its innovative GreenCard4Europe initiative. Winning the award would boost the campaign’s efforts to put its demands firmly on both sides of the...

5 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Accidental Americans petition Trump for independence from USA

A campaign organised by a group of US ‘citizens by accident’ has petitioned Donald Trump to let them relinquish their accidental ties to the USA. Accidental Americans are those born in the USA, often to expat parents working in or simply visiting the country, who’ve never actually lived there long-term. According to the law, they’re still considered US citizens and are liable to be taxed as are American nationals living and working overseas. It’s estimated that around several million people may fall into the category, which...

4 Jul at 6 PM 2018

China green cards for 12 more top talent expat professionals

Another twelve expats living and working in Shanghai have been given permanent residency green cards. The twelve expatriates awarded permanent residence in China brings the total numbers of green cards given out to outstanding foreign professionals to 85. The scheme began in December 2016 and applies to high-level expat professionals who’ve been nominated by the city’s administrative commission. All 12 are working in the field of semiconductors and comprise seven US citizens along with Australian, Malaysian, German and Canadian...

3 Jul at 6 PM 2018

US expats still queuing to renounce citizenship

The new Trump tax bill is yet another valid reason why Americans living overseas are continuing to renounce their citizenship. Financially speaking, it’s never been easy to be an American expat due to the country’s hated rules on taxation of foreign income, higher tax bills, complex retirement savings laws and problems with keeping accounts in compliance with ever-changing IRS requirements. The introduction of the dreaded FATCA caused an increase in those renouncing their citizenship, and recent attempts to change the IRS’s...

2 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Brit expats in Cyprus still in quandary over Brexit rights

The British High Commission is urging Cypriot immigration authorities to work with it in clarifying British expats’ post Brexit status. Britons living in the Mediterranean island are still confused about their status post-Brexit, even although the two negotiating teams have been reported as agreeing on reciprocal protection of expat rights both in the UK and EU member states. Concern is growing about the likelihood of a hard Brexit, after which any agreements made would be invalid. The Commission’s concern arose as a result of...