The Uglobal Immigration Magazine has this week announced the Top 25 Global Migration Attorneys for 2023 which recognizes distinguished lawyers who are active in the investment migration industry and with an experience in submitting a number of residence and citizenship by investment applications. This prestigious list is compiled every year, and after Dr Chetcuti’s ranking last year, it is our pleasure to announce that Dr Jean Philippe Chetcuti has retained this ranking as a leading global migration attorney. The eligibility criteria to be nominated and ranked on this global list of international immigration lawyers include a focus on the practice, experience and knowledge in residence and citizenship by investment programmes.
Uglobal Immigration Lawyers
Uglobal is an educational and networking platform for individuals and practitioners active in the field of cross-border transactions and RCBI programmes. Its role is to connect the industry by publishing content and organising conferences with experienced professionals. The organisation was set up in the wake of various countries launching immigration and foreign investment programmes.
Dr Jean Philippe Chetcuti
Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti is the founding and senior partner at Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates. He is a private client lawyer specialising in personal tax, wealth structuring and global residency and citizenship programmes. Over the years he has advised numerous high net worth individuals and families on the acquisition of residence and citizenship in Malta and other countries.
Jean-Philippe, holds a doctoral degree in European Corporate Tax Law from the University of Malta and a Master’s degree in international Economic Law from the Law School of the University of Warwick. In addition to this, Jean-Philippe maintains regular speaking roles at various international conferences on international tax and investment migration.
Chetcuti Cauchi’s Immigration lawyers led by Dr Jean-Philippe Chetcuti and Dr Antoine Saliba Haig represent a diverse clientele hailing from all continents, given the firm’s regional preparation in assisting clients in accordance with the peculiarities of their country of origin.
Global Migration Industry Trends
In a reaction to the ranking Dr Chetcuti was asked on his views about the global migration industry. Dr Chetcuti commented that:
“The industry is moving towards showing substance and genuine connections with the country of residence and citizenship to be granted any form of residence or citizenship status. Applicants applying under various programmes should seek to align both personal and business needs when choosing their preferred destination especially in times of significant geopolitical events.
Firms in the RCBI industry must invest in more in risk management and due diligence capabilities to ensure top-notch, yet compliant services are provided to our clients.
Commenting on what to expect in 2024, senior lawyer Dr Antoine Saliba Haig commented that:
“The previous year was characterised by a number of developments in the industry. Greece increased its minimum investment in popular locations from €250,000 to €500,000, whilst the Caribbean country of St Kitts and Nevis also doubled its minimum investment in all of the investment options. Dominica on the other hand lost its visa free access to the UK and other Caribbean countries may follow unless more stringent and due diligence practices are implemented. This may lead to investors shifting their interest on European programmes such as the Malta Permanent Residence Programme with a higher level of due diligence and guaranteed Schengen visa-free access”.
Chetcuti Cauchi’s Residence & Citizenship Practice
The firm is recognized as one of the top-ranking law firms in Malta by various law ranking platforms. Chetcuti Cauchi operates from its head office in Malta’s capital city Valletta and offers various immigration services including Malta citizenship through descent, marriage and investment.
