Posts Tagged ‘Second passports’
Traveling in Asia with a Passport from the Commonwealth of Dominica
Last week, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City after a series of three flights from the Caribbean. This place is hustling and bustling! Motorbikes zoom everywhere, the traffic is heavy, and the economy is booming. Yes, this may be the “Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” but opportunities abound here. For instance, many labor-intensive industries are [...]
Look to Europe for America’s Future
Austerity measures in France, Greece, and Spain demanded by these countries’ creditors have spurred unemployment, cuts in pension costs, and above all, politically motivated attacks on wealth. In France, socialist candidate Francois Hollande won a clear victory in the country’s May 6 presidential contest. Central to Hollande’s platform: an “end to austerity” and a whopping [...]
A Second Passport from St. Kitts & Nevis Unlocks a New World of Opportunities
A second citizenship and passport provides numerous benefits. It can expand your travel possibilities, give you the right to reside in other countries, enable you to cross international borders if your primary passport is lost or stolen, and even reduce your profile to terrorists. For U.S. citizens, a second passport has another benefit: it is [...]
Are You the Property of Your Government?
As a former U.S. citizen who has given up U.S. citizenship, I’ve visited dozens of countries using my Commonwealth of Dominica passport. One of the most interesting destinations has been the Republic of Cuba. Not being a U.S. citizen makes the process of visiting Cuba much easier. Due to a longstanding U.S. embargo against Cuba, [...]
When the USA Rejects Your Expatriation
While you have an absolute right to give up your U.S. citizenship, you must make your intention to expatriate crystal-clear. A former client recently discovered this for himself. After acquiring a second passport, he subsequently made an appointment at a U.S. consulate and filed the paperwork to give up his U.S. citizenship. After a considerable [...]
Growing Numbers of Tax Refugees Exit USA—Permanently
If you’re a U.S. citizen or long-term permanent resident (“green card” holder), you have a unique responsibility: you must pay tax on your worldwide income, even if you live outside the United States. Not to mention capital gains tax, gift tax, and estate tax. Numerous additional obligations come with U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status. [...]
Congress to U.S. Citizens: Pay Your Income Tax or Forfeit Your Passport
One of the strongest enforcement mechanisms any government has over its citizens is to restrict their ability to travel internationally. Since international travel to almost anywhere requires a passport, requiring citizens to adhere to specified rules to obtain this travel document is a highly effective mechanism of social control. Many governments therefore temporarily or permanently [...]
White Market, Grey Market. and Black Market Passports
Every country has a path to naturalization through its constitution and law of nationality. In most countries, eligibility for citizenship and a passport requires a period of extended legal and physical residence of one year to 10 years or more. The applicant must also demonstrate good conduct, full compliance with immigration rules, some degree of [...]
The Four-Phase Plan to Disconnect from the United States
Chris Martenson at Chrismartenson.com recently commissioned me to write an article on expatriation to be posted on his Web site. Chris is the author of the well-known “Crash Course” which explains how our economy, energy systems and environment face overwhelmingly difficult challenges in the years ahead, and explores likely implications for the future. His primary [...]
This Week in the Commonwealth of Dominica
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is to see with my own eyes the progress in the countries in which we operate. The Commonwealth of Dominica is definitely a case in point. During the week I’ve spent here with my colleague P.T. Freeman, I’ve seen construction everywhere, with numerous infrastructure improvements completed [...]