Acquiring Residency Permits, Citizenships, and Passports in the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC)

Acquiring Residency Permits, Citizenships, and Passports in the Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC)

written by A. L. Hart Havens on November 1, 2020

It is no secret that the Latin American and Caribbean countries of the Western Hemisphere are the prime go‑to locations for forward‑looking Americans and Canadians seeking to establish a safe harbor in today’s troubled and turbulent times.

And although there are certainly a number of quality options elsewhere in the world, the expansive Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) – which encompasses more than 30 countries stretching from Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego – undoubtedly features the world’s highest concentration of straightforward and reasonably priced second‑residency and second‑citizenship programs.

It is the familiar westernized feel but without the big government intrusions and persistent social unrest that understandably leads many liberty‑minded Anglo North Americans to simply head south rather than venture outside of the New World.

Warm Weather, Friendly People, and Common Interests

In addition to the appealing prospect of sitting out the coming political, societal, and financial turmoil in a picturesque location abroad with warm weather, magnificent beaches, great food, and low prices, US and Canadian citizens who relocate to a Latin American or Caribbean country will have the luxury of retaining much of the way of life they are accustomed to.

This is because Latin American and Caribbean countries have many of the same companies, stores, and restaurants that can be found in the US and Canada, and ideas of what constitutes friendly and good customer service largely align with US and Canadian standards, especially when contrasted with European standards. Another benefit of Latin America and the Caribbean is the shared time zones, which enables easier and more immediate communication with friends and relatives residing in North America.

The shared time zones also allow for the viewing of live sporting events held in the US and Canada, an issue that can pose a major obstacle for Anglo‑American sports fans living outside of the Western Hemisphere. Many US and Canadian prospective expats would also be pleasantly surprised to learn of the overwhelming popularity of baseball and football in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly as a common interest in specific sports can help expats to acclimatize and build rapport with locals.

A Happy Medium Between Convenience and Independence

Although the entire Latin American and Caribbean region unfortunately lies within NATO’s geopolitical sphere of influence (with the notable exceptions of Cuba and Venezuela), securing a second residency, citizenship, and/or passport in a relatively free Latin American or Caribbean country will certainly offer some degree of protection against the ill‑effects of the irresponsible monetary, social, and foreign policies pursued by the massively bloated and increasingly authoritarian western governments.

On the specific issue of individual political diversification across dissimilar jurisdictions and geopolitical spheres of influence, the Latin America and Caribbean region does not measure up to the small handful of free countries situated outside of NATO’s sphere of influence. This argument was presented in a Liberated Services feature article showcasing the political diversification benefits of acquiring Armenian citizenship.

In spite of this drawback, the LAC region does offer the convenience of closer proximity to the US and Canada as well as a relative ease of assimilation given the fairly similar cultural mindset and reduced language‑learning hurdles. This is because many Americans and Canadians already have a basic understanding of Spanish, which is regarded to be one of the easier languages to learn anyway. Additionally, English is the official language of a number of LAC countries.

It can thus be said that the pursuit of an Armenian residency permit, citizenship, and passport is cut out for the more adventurous of freedom‑seekers, whereas Latin America is geared toward those who wish to strike a sensible balance between everyday conveniences and nice weather on the one hand and achieving financial and political independence from woke western governments on the other.

Beware of Profiteering, Scams, and Misleading Information

A quick internet search on Latin American citizenships will turn up numerous hits from dubious offshore lawyers and rag‑tag consulting firms with a vested interest in selling their prospective customers on a specific country’s residency or citizenship program involving an unnecessarily expensive investment in a business venture, teak plantation, or real estate development. Some of these investments may indeed eventually lead to a residency permit or citizenship, although they will often come at a price that is far higher than necessary.

Some providers simply lack the expertise required to properly advise their clients on the unofficial requirements and pitfalls that exist in practice, which ultimately leads to a high rate of denied applications and an incredible waste of time, money, and effort. Others also conceal important information from their clients prior to the application such as any dual citizenship restrictions or onerous tax obligations imposed by the target country. On top of this, there is unfortunately no shortage of outright scams in the second citizenship market aimed at relieving unassuming expats and retirees of their hard‑earned capital.