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Lineage or Ancestry Citizenships. You May Be Eligible for a Second Citizenship Without Needing to Invest
Many clients are not aware that they may have a legitimate claim to citizenship arising from their ancestry (i.e. Irish, Sephardic Jewish, etc.). At Lesperance & Associates we are experts in the many complexities and procedures for each different jurisdiction. We will first examine whether the family’s history can be used to save hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have been spent on Citizenship by investment, Residence by Investment or “Golden Visa programs” in order to meet our client’s goals.
Citizenship by Descent
Various countries offer “citizenship by descent”. This is a process which allows you to apply for citizenship based on having family born in that country. Some countries limit citizenship by descent to just one generation (the UK for example), however there are countries in Europe, South America and the Middle East which will bestow citizenship upon those with family trees that go back much further. We will look into your personal circumstances and family history to discern the best course of action available to you.
We will advise your best course of action based on your personal circumstances.
A Case Study |
Multi-generation NYC Family Looks to Leverage its History and Business Expertise
Situation
- A Sephardic Jewish family (the matriarch having immigrated to the US from Poland in 1939) in the real estate business had recently diversified their holdings throughout the US and internationally.
- Given their history in Europe and a family ethos of pessimism, the need to plan ahead was ingrained.
- The family wanted to seek second citizenship as part of the construction of a flexible and efficient Back-Up Plan.
Solution
- Lesperance & Associates discovered that the family was eligible for lineage citizenship through both religious background and national heritage. We worked this discovery into a comprehensive Back-Up Plan which also leveraged the family’s international real estate diversification strategy.
- The plan allows any family member to immediately and seamlessly deal with any type of adverse event.
How we work
We work either directly with our clients or in collaboration with their family office, legal, accounting or financial advisors. For both citizenship by descent and our wider Back Up Plans© programme we normally recommend close coordination with our client’s advisors because a holistic planning approach ensures important issues are identified and addressed early, saving on time and money… and unnecessary stress.
“I’ve worked with David for over 20 years on clients from around the world both in my current role and as a Senior Private Banker at the Royal Bank of Canada. David is much more than an immigration advisor because he also understands pre- and post-immigration tax and asset protection planning. Indeed, David shows how a second passport – as part of a comprehensive plan – is not just a necessary option but an opportunity…so our mutual clients land in their new countries in the most advantageous tax position possible.”
John McLeod
Director, Forvest Family Office Group, North, Central & South America
Get in Touch
If you are a high or ultra high net worth individual or family interested in building a Passport Portfolio please contact us for a private no-obligations first consultation at:
