Russian citizens were offered a way out by a Russian visa company five days after Putin ordered a partial military deployment.
"Grenada is called 'little Switzerland' by United Passport," the message said. It's an affordable program for everyone.
Russians can become citizens of Grenada for $150,000.
There is an American flag in the background of the ad.
In a Telegram channel dedicated to helping Russians find ways out of their country, United Passport seemed to take advantage of the situation.
Thousands of Russians booked flights to countries that offer visa-free entry after Putin spoke to the nation.
The founding attorney for the Batrakova Law Office told Insider that her firm had mostly dealt with inquiries from Russians looking to move to the US
There is a chance that you can get to the US on an E-2 visa. Russians can only apply for an E-2 visa if they obtain citizenship in a country that is part of a treaty.
Insider contacted United Passport and pretended to be a customer who wanted to enter the US with his family via Grenada in order to start a new life in the US.
After their country invaded Ukraine, Grenada stopped Russians from applying for citizenship through investments. Karline Purcell, the CEO of Grenada's Citizenship By Investment programme, told Investment Migration Insider that the restriction was lifted in July and only non-Russians were allowed to apply.
The United Passport told Insider Wednesday that one business opportunity would give them a Grenadian passport and a US visa.
The company said there were only 300 shares left at the hotel.
Part ownership of the new InterContinental Grenada Resort was referred to. The cost of the stake is more than $300,000. It would lead to Grenada giving you and your family passports for it, the visa company said, which would entitle you to apply for an E-2 visa, a non immigrant visa that typically lasts for five years but can be renewed multiple times.
The companyadhures to the highest ethical standards and holds the same requirements for the parties it engages with, according to a spokesman.
The smallest Caribbean state is Grenada, with a population of about 112,000. In February 1974 it gained independence from the UK.
It has become a hot spot for people who want to relax at its luxurious resorts and on the many superyachts that sail around its islands.
There are various options for Russians who want to enter the US and escape military service. The Grenada strategy is the way to go.
The E-2 visa888-607-888-607-888-607- is cheaper, quicker, and easier than the alternatives and requires a long-standing ties to the US.
One of the most popular pathways to the US is the EB-5. The US Embassy in Moscow has stopped nondiplomatic visa services.
Fadi Minawi, the lead immigration attorney and managing director of Visa Place, told Insider that getting to the appropriate consulate would be a challenge.
Poland closed its borders to Russians in September, but the US Embassy in Warsaw has been designated as the site for Russian visa appointments. The Polish government has the right to refuse entry to Russians who are traveling for a visa appointment.
The EB-5 route is not a quick way to get to the US and takes at least two years to process.
It may take a long time for that application to be approved.
20% of cases are unresolved after 52 months.
The Grenada shortcut is 80% cheaper than the other one.
There isn't a minimum investment for an E-2 application once a grenadian passport is obtained. An investment in the US of at least $50,000 is required for an application to be considered seriously, according to immigration lawyers. When the United Passport fee is taken into account, the total cost is $200,000 for Russians.
There is a minimum capital investment of $1 million or a reduced investment of $800,000 in a targeted employment area.
The E-2 route is used by wealthy Russians to get to the US to avoid being drafted.
The L-1 visa is one of the visas that can be applied for by employees of international companies. These aren't always feasible for people without ties to the US. Those with significant wealth can only choose one of the options.
Being able to buy your way into the US was an "enormous" problem according to Gary Kalman.
Kalman said that the issue isn't that Russians who want to escape the draft can get into the US; it's that Russians who want to play the immigration system can.
"Sure, the moral imperative is we want to help these people flee Russia, but we're only going to do it if you can invest," he said. That is not a policy of humanitarianism. Many of the wealthiest people in Russia may have gotten their money through ill-gotten gains because of that policy.
Kalman said that he had concerns about the speed of the E-2 visa process, which seems to give little time to vet an application's source of income, and that he worried that having a third party in the process could make it difficult to determine if the money is dirty.
He said that Russians with the level of wealth necessary to partake in such a strategy were likely to include billionaires. He said that the immigration system allows wealthy people to skirt the rules.
The number of people applying for E-2 visas has not been updated by the US State Department since August.
Immigration attorneys told Insider that demand was increasing. More calls have come in from Russians.
I would say a 30% to 40% increase in inquiries, but I'm just being very conservative here. Everybody is trying to figure out how to get out after we got some calls.
Insider didn't get a response from the Government of Grenada.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
