A range of investment opportunities are now available to non-EEA nationals and their families wishing to reside and invest in an approved investment in Ireland. Approved applicants under the Immigrant Investor Programme will be granted a right of residence in Ireland with their families and will be granted multi-entry visa permission. Successful applicants will be granted residence permission for a period of five years. When the application is first approved, the applicant will be granted residency permission for a period of two years. At the end of the initial two year period, a review will take place to ensure the Investor continues to satisfy the terms of the programme. Once it has been determined that the terms of the Schemes continue to be satisfied, a further three year residency permission will be granted.

The residency permission granted is a right of residence in Ireland and does not oblige the Applicant to have Ireland as its main residence. The Immigrant Investor Programme is designed to give rights of residence to Investors and their families that they may exercise as their needs dictate. The only obligation in terms of residence is that those granted rights of residency under the Programme visit Ireland at least once every twelve months.

The level and duration of financial commitment required from the Investor will depend on the nature of the investment but will generally range from minimum €500,000 for investments in an Irish enterprise up to €2,000,000 in any Irish Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. The level of investment in business entities where jobs are being created or saved will be guided by and be reliant upon the advice of the IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in assessing individual proposals.
The Investor Programme is designed to attract individuals with a successful background in business to invest in and relocate to the State. A range of investment options are provided for with different thresholds applied depending on the nature of the investment.

Immigrant Investor Bonds

A minimum investment of €1,000,000 in a 5 year immigrant investor bond issued by Ireland acting through the National Treasury Management Agency. This will be a non interest bearing bond for a five year investment period. The bond will be issued on behalf of Ireland by the National Treasury Management agency (NTMA). It will be offered exclusively to participants in the scheme that have been approved by the Department of Justice and Equality. The bond will not be tradable on any market and will not be transferable and must be held by the participant for the full five years until it matures. The Immigrant Investor Bond is a Government guaranteed investment.

Enterprise Investment

A minimum €500,000 in either a single Irish enterprise or spread over a number of enterprises for a minimum of 3 years. The enterprise may be a start-up established by the investor or an existing business registered in Ireland. The enterprises must be registered and headquartered in Ireland. The investment must support the creation or maintenance of employment. The investment must be in the name of the individual seeking residence under the Programme.

Investment Fund

A minimum investment of €500,000 in the approved investment fund. The money committed to this fund must be invested for a minimum period of three years.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT)

A minimum investment of €2,000,000 in any Irish REIT that is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. The investment can be spread across a number of different Irish REITs and must be held for a period of three years. After the initial three year period, the investor can divest with 50% of the shares purchased. After four years, the investor may divest with a further 25%. At the end of the fifth year, the investor may part with its shareholding in its entirety.
A Real Estate Investment Trust is a listed company used to hold rental investment properties. The aim of the REIT is to provide an after-tax return for investors similar to that of direct investment in property while also giving the benefits of risk diversification. To eliminate the double layer of taxation which typically hinders the holding of property through a company, a REIT is exempt from corporation tax on qualifying profits from rental property. Instead, the company is required to distribute the vast majority of its profits to investors each year for taxation at the level of the investor. The company must have a diverse ownership. No one person or group of connected persons can control the REIT.

Mixed Investment

In certain cases an investment in property will be considered eligible for the programme. In order for the property investment to be the basis for qualification for residence the property in question must be a residential property in which the applicant and their family intend to reside in Ireland (residential properties purchased for rental income will not be eligible). In such cases, a minimum of €950,000 will apply and this investment must be diversified between residential property with a minimum value of €450,000 and an immigrant investor bond valued at €500,000. The property and the bond must be held for a five year period.

Endowment

A minimum endowment of €500,000 in a project of public benefit in the arts, sports, health, cultural, or educational field. The endowment should be regarded as a philanthropic contribution with a clear public benefit. Investors will receive no financial return or recoupment of the investment. Where a group of five or more investors wish to combine their philanthropic endowments to contribute to an appropriate project, a minimum investment of €400,000 will qualify under the Programme.

Residency Requirements

The applicant is not required to establish actual residence in Ireland. The programme is about the rights of residence that the applicant may exercise as their business and family needs dictate. No minimum residence requirement is set other than the stipulation that the persons concerned should visit Ireland at least once in every 12 month period.

Self Sufficiency

Applicants will be required to be self sufficient and to support their families without recourse to State funds.

Character

Applicants must be of good character and will be required to attest to their bonafides. This will be done via an affidavit sworn in this Ireland. False misleading or incomplete information submitted can lead to the removal from the State as well as revocation of the immigrant permissions.

Provenance of the Funds

The applicant must be able to show the source of the funds proposed for the investment, i.e. that the funds were legally acquired, are fully owned by them and are theirs to dispose of as they wish. All funds must be fully compliant with Anti Money Laundering Legislation. .

What Type of Business?

The intention of the programmes is to support high potential start-ups. The scheme is not intended for retail, personal services, catering or other businesses of this nature. The existing Business Permission Scheme remains available to this sort of enterprise. While each scheme will be considered on its own merits the sort of business intended for this programme are those that are part of the innovation economy in the areas of high potential growth in the future. The State Agencies will play a key role in evaluating the suitability of proposed business proposals for the programme.

• The business proposal must have a strong innovation component.

Definition of a High Potential Start-Up (HPSU):

It is defined as a start-up venture that is:

• Introducing a new or innovative product or service to international markets.
• Capable of creating 10 jobs in Ireland and realising €1,000,000 in sales within three to four years of starting up.
• Led by an experience management team.
• Headquartered and controlled in Ireland.
• Less than six years old

Applicants are required to have secured funding of €75,000 for the business proposal

An application fee of €350 is payable which is not refundable.

Duration and Nature of Immigration Permission:

Successful applicants and their nominated family members would get initial residence permission for 2 years to develop the business which will then be renewable for a further three years. After five years residence applicant will be eligible for long term residence in the State. Where required the applicant will be granted a multiple entry visa.

Participants can be joined by immediate family provided that they can show that their family can be fully maintained without recourse to the State funds.

Residency Permission available under the Start Up Entrepreneur Programme

a) Applicants for the Start Up Entrepreneur Programme who have their investment proposals approved by the Evaluation Committee shall be invited to apply for residency permission under the Programme

b) Once the applicant has provided verifiable evidence that they have transferred the funds identified in their application for approval to a business bank account in Ireland, they will be granted the following residency permission in Ireland.

• Permission to reside and work in Ireland for two years. Where a person is a visa required national they will be given a multiple entry visa for the period of two years. This is to facilitate business related travel.
• During this period beneficiaries must have private medical insurance and must not have recourse to public funds.
• Spouses and minor children shall be allowed to accompany successful applicants.

Renewal of Residency Permission

Permission will be renewed thereafter subject to:

• The Start-up remaining in place thereafter for the designated period
• An assessment by the Evaluation Committee of the success or viability of the investment.
• The Candidates maintaining their good character
• The candidates maintaining their private medical insurance and not having recourse to publicly funded welfare programmes.

On renewal, residency permission will be granted for 3 further years.

Thereafter permission may be renewed in 5 year installments.

Eligible Family Members

Residency status, on similar terms, to the principal applicant is also available for spouses/partners and minor children (i.e. children under 18 years of age) for whom the principal applicant and/or their spouse or partner has legal guardianship.

Consideration of family relationships:

Where the person applying for residence

status under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme for themselves and their families the validity of the family relationship will be considered.

Spouses: Applicants should provide evidence that their marriage or civil partnership is legal.

Partners: Applicants should provide evidence that they have been cohabitating with their partner in a common law / de facto relationship for the previous two years.

Children: The minor children of the applicant shall qualify for residency status provided that the applicant qualifies for residency status and provided that;

• they are legally in the custody / guardianship of the applicant
• they are unmarried and are not in a de facto / common law relationship

In respect of each child, the applicant must supply birth certificates detailing parentage or legal documentation verifying the applicant's custody/guardianship.

Self Sufficiency

Applicants will be required to be self sufficient and to support their families without recourse to State funds.

Evaluation Process

All applications for both programmes will be considered by an Evaluation Committee comprised of representatives of IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland as well as other Government Agencies. Applicants must be of good character and be able to support themselves while in Ireland. Applicants will have to attest to their bona fides on affidavit sworn here in Ireland. False, misleading or incomplete information submitted can lead to removal from the State as well as revocation of the immigration permissions. The evaluation committee will operate to a strict code and will only deal with the applicant him/herself or with applicant's duly authorized legal or financial representative.

Application fee for the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme will be €50 which is non refundable. This may be waived if the State agency is a stakeholder in the project.

Immigration Permissions

Successful applicants will be granted residence permission for two years which will be renewable thereafter provided the business is still operational and the applicant is earning a living without being a burden on the State.

No employment requirement will exist for the first two years and neither will the business be required to be profitable at renewal stage.

Family reunification for the spouse/partner and children provided that the family needs are met from the resources of the investor/entrepreneur or other private means. No access to State funds will be permitted during this period.

Naturalisation options

The two schemes offer interested parties the potential for residence in the State and not Irish citizenship. Successful applicants will however be able to apply for naturalisation under the terms of the Irish Nationality and Citizenships Act 1956 -2004 in the same way as all other non-Irish nationals.