Things May Go Wrong in Any Country: Acquire Second Citizenship

Do you think that tyranny is out of the question in your country? Do you think that people in poor countries only may want to relocate to a more prosperous state? The absurd anti-coronavirus measures taken in Australia recently suggest just the opposite. Australia is one of the leading economies of the world built on democratic principles but the authorities of the country seem to be turning it into a dictatorship in an attempt to combat the pandemic.

We discuss the draconian measures taken in Australia below with the intention of showing you, dear readers, that acquiring second citizenship is not a whim in the present day but a necessity. Your financial well-being is certainly not the only thing that matters: your psychological well-being is even more important. When you have a ‘safety net’, when you have a second home country to resort to in case the situation in the country of your birth becomes unbearable, you will feel much more secure inside.

Acquire second citizenship to avoid the fate of Australians

Criminals from Great Britain used to be exiled to Australia when the continent was first discovered by Europeans. The place used to serve as a prison before and now it looks as if it was returning to its roots once again. Initially, the Australian authorities promised a two-week period of restrictions but now there is no end to the crackdown on basic human rights in sight. Over the last eighteen months, the federal and the state governments have been imposing the following absurd restrictions, for example:

• Prohibition to leave the country without permission;
• Prohibition to enter the country under the threat of a five-year sentence;
• Prohibition to cross borders between the states.
• Prohibition to go far away from home without permission.

It says at the official website of the Australian Government that ‘citizens of the country enjoy freedom of movement’ regardless of the reason why the person wants to go to this or that place.

However, the Australian authorities do not feel that they have to follow their own rules or care about human rights. They believe that the emergency that the country (and the rest of the world) has found itself in will justify any measures however cruel they may be. Under the slogan of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian police and Government officials have taken the following scandalous steps, among others, and these facts have been brought to the public attention by the mass media:

• They traced a large order from a fast food restaurant to the house where a party was held and they fined the party participants for 26,000 dollars for illegal gathering during the pandemic.
• They involved the military to watch over the lockdown regime.
• They killed several dogs at one place to prevent volunteers from coming from another town, as their visit would supposedly have increased the risk of virus proliferation.
• They arrested a pregnant mom in front of her children for a publication in a social network about a meeting against the lockdown.
• A three-year-old boy was staying with his grandparents when the lockdown regime was put into effect. The authorities refused to make an exception for the child and let him travel back home. As a result, the boy had to stay away from his parents for several months.
• A newborn baby died because its mother was denied access to the neighboring state to receive medical care.

The Australian authorities also declared all protest meetings illegal. Moreover, they prohibited spreading the information about such meetings in social media. Supposedly, people in democratic countries have the right to gather peacefully as well as the right to express disagreement with the Government’s actions. However, several people have been imprisoned in Australia for several months for participating in peaceful assemblies. This is plain tyranny disguising itself as a fight against the coronavirus.

In fact, there are political prisoners in Australia today. It might have seemed impossible but it is true.

Common people in Australia are fighting back and trying to revolt against the draconian measures that the Government is taking. For instance, there was a large protest meeting against mandatory vaccination in Melbourne in the second half of September 2021. It was a peaceful assembly and the participants even started by singing the national anthem. However, the police officers used pepper sprays and rubber bullets against the crowd. Children were among the protestors.

The Australian authorities did their best to keep the mass media away from the site. They cordoned off the territory and they guided the airspace to prevent shooting from drones and helicopters. The protesters themselves, however, had smartphones and they filmed what was going on. One police officer said, for example: ‘I’m just like you but I’m paid to do my job, mate’. Well, apparently his job is to fire at the peaceful civilians.

Another absurd task that the police have been given in Australia is walking from door to door asking the residents if they know anything about any upcoming protests.

We must note that the crackdown on human rights goes beyond the fight against the pandemic in Australia. The local Parliament has recently passed a piece of legislation that deprives Australians of digital privacy.

The implementation of the legal act gives the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) new wide-ranging powers. These Government agencies now have the right to monitor the citizens’ digital activities, block the account users, add and delete information from their social networks. What is more, the police do not have to inform the account user when his or her account has been actually hacked. They do not even need a court ruling to do so, as they can acquire an ‘emergency action’ warrant.

The right to travel, the right to protest, the right for personal privacy, the presumption of innocence, and the right to leave home and earn a living – all these rights are nonexistent in Australia any longer.

The recent events in Australia show that even a country that used to be regarded as an example of a democratic society can become lawless one day. ‘Extraordinary powers’ can easily turn into a dictatorship. Theoretically, even Western democracies may face the situation that will be similar to the one that we witness in Australia today. A free country yesterday, a tyranny today.

We are not trying to scare you but having a ‘plan B’ in the form of a second passport would be highly sensible under the current conditions. You had better be prepared for an emergency that may come totally out of the blue.

How can you acquire second citizenship?

Second citizenship brings a number of advantages. Your foreign passport will let you use the tax incentives available in your second home country, find employment, make use of new investment opportunities, gain access to international banking services, and so on. The most important advantage that second citizenship brings, however, is the opportunity to resort to a safe place in case of political instability, civil unrest, or a military conflict in the country of your birth/ current residence.

It is important to note that some national states disallow dual citizenship. Thus, before you start looking for a country where you can acquire second citizenship, you have to ascertain that the legislation of your home country permits dual citizenship.

If it does, you can acquire second citizenship by taking several different routes. Normally, national states grant citizenship for the following four reasons:

• Place of birth: Some countries such as the USA, for example, will grant citizenship to any person who is born on their territories. So if you are not an American citizen but your child is born in the USA, he or she will automatically become a citizen of the country. The exception here is the child born to foreign diplomats in the USA.
• Ancestry: You can inherit second citizenship too. In most cases, your second citizenship can be inherited from your parents. There are some countries, however, that grant their citizenship to those foreign nationals whose grandparents and even great grandparents were citizens of the countries.
• Naturalization: Many countries will grant citizenship to foreign nationals who have legally resided on their territories for an extended period of time. The period can be from three to twenty years. The naturalization process can be accelerated sometimes if the foreign national does military service, makes an outstanding contribution to the country’s economy, culture, sports, science, or arts, or if the foreign national marries a local person.
• Investments: About a dozen countries grant citizenship to foreign investors. In most cases, you can make a non-returnable donation or a returnable investment in real estate, a business venture, government bonds, etc. This is the fastest way of acquiring foreign citizenship as the process normally takes between two and six months (it can take more time in some countries). As a rule, you can acquire second citizenship remotely without ever visiting your second home country. The minimum amount of investment (donation) required for obtaining second citizenship is US$ 100,000.

Let us discuss five countries where you can acquire second citizenship by following one of the routes described above.

Fast citizenship of Argentina by naturalization

In most cases, you have to live for quite a few years in a foreign country to qualify for citizenship by naturalization. If you acquire a legal residence permit in Argentina, however, you will become eligible for citizenship by naturalization after two years only. The Argentinian passport gives visa-free access to around one hundred and fifty countries including the EU states, Russia, many southeastern states, and all South America countries. At the same time, it does not give visa-free entrance to the USA nor to Canada.

Acquiring a legal residence permit in Argentina is comparatively easy. If you can demonstrate having a passive income of US$ 1,000 (better US$ 2,000) per month, it will satisfy the Argentinian immigration authorities and they will issue a residence permit to you as a financially independent person. Please note that the income has to come from outside Argentina. If you have an income in the said amount from rent, bank interest, pension, etc., you are welcome to apply for a legal residence permit in Argentina.

Fast and inexpensive second citizenship of Paraguay via a golden visa

Paraguay makes a similar offer to foreign nationals. The waiting period is a bit longer but the financial requirements are much more relaxed. 

You have to live in Paraguay on a legal residence permit for three years before you can apply for citizenship of the country by naturalization. All you have to do to qualify for citizenship of Paraguay in terms of finances is to put US$ 5,000 into a Paraguayan bank. The country is extremely beautiful and exotic.

Free second citizenship of Italy by accelerated naturalization

Were your ancestors born in Italy? Congratulations if it is so! Supply proof of the fact to the Italian immigration authorities and acquire second citizenship of an EU state. In addition to that, foreign nationals who are married to Italians will qualify for citizenship of the country.

The standard naturalization period is ten years in Italy. However, if you marry an Italian, you can live in the country for three years only to qualify for its citizenship. If you come from another EU country, you will be eligible for Italian citizenship after living in the country for four years. Besides, children born to foreign nationals in Italy also qualify for citizenship of the country on the condition that they had lived there until they turned eighteen.

Simple second citizenship of Ireland by kinship

Ireland welcomes those foreign nationals whose ancestors were born in the country. If one of your parents or a grandparent or even a great grandparent was born in Ireland, you can file an application for simplified citizenship acquisition.

You can also become an Irish citizen by naturalization by living there for five years. This is a short period in comparison to other EU countries. If you are married to an Irish person, the naturalization period is only three years.

Instant second citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica by investment

You can acquire second citizenship of the Commonwealth of Dominica almost instantly in exchange for a modest amount of money. You can make a donation of US$ 100,000 to the state fund and this will make you qualified for full citizenship of Dominica. Please mind, however, that some additional administrative costs will be involved such as the application processing fee, the due diligence fee, and the passport issuance fee. Besides, you will have to hire an immigration agent and pay a fee for his or her services, as the legislation of the country requires that applications for Dominican citizenship should be filed only via a licensed immigration agent.

Acquiring citizenship of Dominica by investment takes about six months. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations so its citizens enjoy numerous privileges in Great Britain. These include, for example consulate support from British consuls in all countries where they can be found. Holders of Dominican passports can also enter all EU and Schengen zone countries without visas.

Professional assistance to those wishing to obtain second citizenship

If you would like to acquire second citizenship but you do not want to spend too much time on choosing the best option, please apply for our professional consultations on the matter. Our investment immigration experts will be happy to offer a personalized solution to you.

If you have any questions about second citizenship opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact us by email, telephone, or our live chat. We will respond promptly!