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On Tuesday 14 February, the Irish government announced the closure of the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP). IIP applications via approved projects may be granted a grace period of three months to submit the finalised application. Any interest in IIP is the last chance and would have to apply on an urgent and immediate basis or the programme will no longer be available. Contact us now.

Month: October 2021

Irish immigration is on-demand, Bartra raised €6 million through the IIP in the two weeks prior to the official launch of Phase V nursing home Cookstown Tallaght

Posted on by bwa

Hong Kong, 20 October 2021 – The developer behind a portfolio of four purpose-built, premium nursing homes costing €127m (HKD1.15bn) in Ireland is expanding its healthcare business to provide more much-needed nursing home beds and is well-positioned to fundraise the construction costs from Asia investors through the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP).

Bartra Healthcare, a subsidiary of Bartra Group, is adding Cookstown Tallaght, a €33m nursing home project (Phase Five) in South Dublin to its portfolio. The Group’s subsidiary, Bartra Wealth Advisors launched the project globally on 15 October to its IIP clients across Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and managed to snap up €6m in two weeks at the project ‘pre-launch’ stage.

James Hartshorn, CEO and Co-founder of Bartra Wealth Advisors commented, “We are glad to see our hard work has paid off. Many high-net-worth clients in Asia would like to immigrate to Ireland and they are confident in the IIP and Bartra’s nursing home projects on four fronts. Firstly, Ireland is a rising star in Europe where it provides excellent education to children, which leads to good future job prospects as a result of its growing economy as well as opportunities in EU countries, the UK and the US. Secondly, the IIP provides fast track permanent residency status with great flexibility on residing requirements as applicants can immigrate without relocating. Thirdly, our integrated business model makes our clients feel safe. We are the only nursing home developer in the Irish healthcare sector to source, build and manage projects from start to finish as well as provide clinical care premium services. In Hong Kong and other major cities in China, and in Vietnam, we provide our clients with direct investment opportunities into our IIP projects including nursing homes. Finally, all the nursing home projects are carefully sourced and built in key Dublin urban locations where they benefit from excellent transport links and proximity to major hospitals. These locations have a high demand for nursing home beds and the projects are built to meet the highest Irish Government (HIQA) and EU standards, qualifying Bartra Healthcare homes for government supported revenue models. Investing in our projects is not only very safe, but also capital guaranteed with a 4% annual interest rate, all factors favoured by our Asian clients.”

Cookstown Tallaght nursing home launch and Irish immigration seminar in Bartra Wealth Advisors’ Hong Kong office, presented by Jeffrey Ling, Regional Director.

Cookstown Tallaght launch event in Shanghai, presented by James Hartshorn, CEO and Co-founder and Charlie Shi, China Sales Director.

Cookstown Tallaght launch webinar in Vietnam, presented by Head of Country, Jenny Dang and Head of Operations, Daniel Hinds.

Ireland has become an on-demand immigration hotspot in Asia as an alternative to the UK, the US and other English-speaking countries. Affluent families are drawn to its outstanding quality of education and living standards as well as its accessibility to the EU and the UK (under the CTA Agreement), strong transport links to Europe and the US, and strong economic growth that perennially puts Ireland ahead of its European peers. Many industries such as pharmaceuticals, innovation and technology, and the financial sectors are fast-growing, with more foreign companies coming into Ireland to set up European headquarters and ensuring a thriving job market. All these factors make Ireland one of the world’s immigration hotspots.

Additionally in Ireland, the Irish nursing home sector is facing a major shortage of beds thanks to years of under-investment following the recession in 2008. Because of this lack of beds, and coupled with Ireland’s ageing population where more than 15% of the population is now aged over 65, the demand for nursing home facilities is huge. CBRE’s 2021 report outlined that Ireland needs to build an extra 15 thousand nursing home beds over the next nine years to service this growing elderly population.

This has led the Irish government to prioritise IIP investment in the delivery of critically needed nursing home accommodation. In Ireland, the Health Service Executive (“HSE”) also supports the private nursing home sector through the Irish Government’s Nursing Home Support Scheme (also known as the “Fair Deal Scheme”) which provides approximately 80% of the income for private nursing homes.

Bartra acquired a 1.14-hectare (2.82 acres) site at Cookstown, Dublin 24

Bartra Healthcare was established in response to the acute and high demand for nursing home care in Ireland and is on course to become the largest private-sector provider with a portfolio of over 1,000 beds across at least 10 nursing homes. Bartra Healthcare has four projects in its nursing home portfolio, three of which are already in operation, while construction is ongoing on the fourth home, providing a total of 608 beds and costing approximately €127m. The latest project, Cookstown Tallaght in South Dublin, will provide a 131-bed nursing home, together with a pharmacy and cafe, and is expected to commence construction in 2022. The site is located in the heart of Tallaght, a thriving urban hub with a population of 80,000 making it one of Dublin’s largest suburbs, where it also benefits from excellent transport links – the Belgard Luas light rail station is just 250 metres away, providing access for both staff and the families of residents. It also boasts proximity to major hospitals, including Tallaght University Hospital, Ireland’s leading academic teaching hospital, which is less than a kilometre away, and St James’s Hospital, just 8km away.

The total cost of the latest project is approximately €33m and Bartra is seeking €20m investor loans (5-year term, 4% annual interest) from IIP applicants to fund construction. In the two weeks prior to the official launch on 15 October, €6m was secured from IIP investors in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City managed by Bartra’s immigration arm Bartra Wealth Advisors.

Jeffrey Ling, Bartra Wealth Advisors Regional Director commented on the advantages of Bartra’s IIP nursing home projects during a Hong Kong seminar: “We are the only group that integrates development, operation and management in the IIP, run and managed by a dedicated division – Bartra Healthcare. Bartra’s nursing homes are safe, authorised and much-needed projects in Ireland, and they have a state-backed revenue steam. We are committed to the home quality and to providing our clients principal repayment and 4% interest per annum. The scheme is extremely popular among our Hong Kong clients, who said they can use the 20% interest obtained at maturity, which is circa HK$2 million, to pay their children’s education fees or to buy property in Ireland.”

About Bartra Wealth Advisors

Bartra Wealth Advisors (Bartra) is a subsidiary company of Ireland’s most successful real estate developer Bartra Group, specialising in providing independent Irish immigration investment advisory services. With well-established business, extensive Irish immigration experience, expertise in the investment field, professional landing teams and strong business network support, Bartra Group has successfully carried out a significant number of social housing and nursing home IIP (Immigrant Investor Programme) projects and has helped hundreds of families successfully immigrate to Ireland.

Bartra Wealth Advisors prides itself on delivering streamlined, in-group, end-to-end services. Its unique business model supports clients throughout their investment and immigration journey, from immigration advisory and government backed IIP projects through to exit executions. It maintains a 100% application approval rate and a 100% renewal rate.

Bartra Insight

3 questions to ask before choosing an immigration programme

Posted on by bwa

There are many reasons to move abroad – education quality, work opportunities, economic stability, to name a few. But before applying for any immigration programme, it’s best to look into the programme details and compare the requirements. Choosing the programme that suits you and your family best is key to a positive immigration journey. But the question is, how do you know whether a programme is a good fit for you and your family?

To explain the differences between immigration programmes, we spoke to our immigration partner Willie Hu, Director of John Hu Migration Consulting, for our Immigration Insights with Bartra Wealth Advisors series. Having worked in the immigration industry for years, Willie is experienced in suggesting the most suitable programme according to a client’s needs and immigration objectives. Watch the latest episode of Immigration Insights, where Willie talks to our Regional Director Jeffrey Ling about the different immigration programmes and provides some advice for families considering moving abroad.

Immigration Options

Moving to another country is exciting and life-changing, but it takes a lot of evaluation and a concrete action plan to make it happen. To start with, you need to understand different immigration programmes and what each require. While there is a variety of immigration programmes in the market, they can be categorised into three main types:

1. Skilled migration
2. Business/entrepreneur migration
3. Investment migration

Skilled migration

Skilled migration programmes are designed to attract migrants who can potentially make a significant contribution to the country’s economy. As skilled migrants have a high participation rate in the workforce, they serve as a driving force of economic growth, which results in the creation of more jobs. Skilled migration programmes are typically points-based and the points assessment is based on age, qualifications, English proficiency, and years of working experience.

Popular countries offering skilled migration programmes include Australia, Canada and New Zealand where occupations such as health workers, engineers and IT professionals are preferred.

Business/entrepreneur migration

Business/entrepreneur migration programmes are designed to attract entrepreneurial talents and foreign direct investment (FDI). They are positioned to target migrants that have a demonstrated history of success in innovation, investment and business. These programmes require the applicant to make a certain amount of investment and to create new jobs in the target country, which in turn contribute to the country’s economic growth and workforce.

A wide variety of countries offer business/entrepreneur migration programmes including Australia, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Singapore and the UK.

Investment migration

Investment migration programmes allow individuals to obtain residency status in return for investment in their host countries, and some may ultimately lead to citizenship. Investment options and programme frameworks vary depending on the needs of the country, but the investments are usually in the form of real estate purchases, endowments to national projects or business investments.

Both investment migration and business/entrepreneur migration require investments in the target country. The biggest difference is that the former is passive in nature, meaning individuals are not required to establish or actively manage a business.

How to choose an immigration programme

On gaining an understanding of the different types of immigration programmes, there are three questions to ask when selecting the most suitable programme for you and your family:

1. How much risk are you willing to take?

For professionals, skilled migration is undoubtedly the safest option. However, being typically points-based, age, qualifications and language proficiency will all be taken into account during application. It is worth noting that your occupation score also differs from country to country based on national needs. Therefore, success is not guaranteed when it comes to skilled migration, and it is essential to study the scoring criteria carefully prior to application.

If you are interested in running a business and are confident in your entrepreneurial skills, then business/entrepreneur migration might be a good choice. Nevertheless, running any business is a task in risk management. Risks arise from uncertainty about various aspects of the business, from customer preferences to competition and economic performance. The entrepreneur needs to be aware of the risk that one might confront when running the business. If your business fails, it might also affect your resident status. “Applicants need to understand the local market. Even if a person is a successful business person in a certain country, this doesn’t mean they will succeed overseas,” says Willie.

For investment migration, applicants can generally obtain resident status by providing capital funds for designated investments. If the investment is in equity, it is key to understand the underlying assets and associated downside risks and payoff. As for debt investment, it’s all about credit risk. The risk profile can be evaluated through due diligence; for example, what are the backgrounds of the management team? What is their track record? Is the debt collateralised or uncollateralised? What is the seniority ranking of the debt?

Aside from financial risks, there are a number of other risk factors common to immigration programmes. We have put together a list of some of these in our blog “How to assess risks of immigration investor programmes?”.

2. Do you want to eventually become a permanent resident or citizen? 

There are generally three types of resident status: temporary residents, permanent residents and citizens. The most significant difference between temporary residents and permanent residents is the duration of stay. Temporary resident visa holders are permitted to reside for a limited period of time with restricted working conditions, meaning they are required to either leave the country or apply for another visa before the expiration date, while permanent resident visas provide more rights to the visa holder, such as residency, medical, education, etc. Citizens of a certain country have the right to vote and are eligible for a passport.

If your ultimate goal is to become a permanent resident or citizen of the target country, then you are advised to pay attention to the visa or permit types that different programmes offer, as some may be issued in the form of a temporary resident visa without the right to access local benefits.

3. Do you want to become a tax resident in the target country?

Hong Kong is known for its simple, low-rate tax system where no tax is levied on profits arising abroad, even if they are remitted to Hong Kong. In contrast, the tax regimes of the major immigration destinations, such as the UK and Canada, are often considerably more complicated and the rates are generally much higher. Compared to Hong Kong, where the tax code is a mere 276 pages long, the UK tax code spans more than 17,000 pages. Therefore, it is crucial to plan early to keep your tax affairs in order.

In most countries, the tax liability of an individual is determined by their period of stay and whether they are domiciled. Taking Ireland as an example, you are considered a resident for tax purposes and become liable to Irish taxes only if you stay in the country for a total of 183 days or more in a tax year. Therefore, Investment migration programmes are popular amongst high-net-worth individuals as they often offer greater flexibility around residency requirements.

Under the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), the minimum stay is only one day per year. Investors can decide whether to become a tax resident in Ireland depending on their situation and maintain resident status without moving to Ireland.

Check out more Irish tax planning tips in our blog “Practical tips on Irish tax to get your finances in order before moving to Ireland“.

Summary

Fully understanding your immigration options and thoroughly evaluating the risk factors of a programme are very important prior to making any decisions. Before you begin navigating all the different visas available, make sure you are clear about what your immigration objective is and seek professional advice.

At Bartra Wealth Advisors we pride ourselves on delivering streamlined, in-group, end-to-end Irish immigration services. For any questions about Irish immigration, click here to contact our advisors.