FAQs on LatourLaw VN’s Grenada Passport/E-2 Solution

Remember my blog last month about our revolutionary new Grenada CBI/E-2 solution, the ”GCBIPE2TTMFP” Program? No?  You don’t remember?? 

Well, that confirms, it, NOT a catchy name….:-P LOL! 

Seriously: our Grenada CBI Passport/E-2 Treaty Trader/Managed Franchise Package, as well at the various non-franchise iterations for our investor clients who already have trusted business contacts and opportunities in the U.S. who don’t need a franchise, has triggered an avalanche of questions for our Vietnam office.  Here are the ones I think you’ll find the most helpful: 

Q: How Is LatourLaw Vietnam’s Grenada/E-2 Turnkey Program different from what all other Vietnam agents are selling? 

A: While other agents think “More is More” and offer investors dozens of Citizenship By Investment (“CBI”) countries and investment choices, LatourLaw Vietnam only offers ONE CBI jurisdiction (Grenada) and we work EXCLUSIVELY with the ONE developer we trust, offering the best projects on the market.  We believe “Less is More” and that instead of offering a confusing number of inferior options and steering a prospective client to the one which generates the biggest commission, it’s better to become experts in the best possible options for our clients.  Our belief and commitment in Grenada as a solution for Vietnamese investors is so profound that AVS Vietnam even committed to representing Grenada's St. George's University in Vietnam. 

Q: I know LatourLaw now has offices in Vietnam with AVS, but why does that matter when other agents have visiting U.S. attorneys?  Isn't it the same thing?

 A: No!  Not only is it NOT the "same thing"...it's the exact opposite!  Think about it:  an immigrating Vietnamese family needs constant and reliable provider if they want a smooth immigration process.  Other Vietnam migration agents link websites from U.S. immigration attorneys who have visited Vietnam perhaps once, perhaps never.  (I've spoken to more than one U.S. attorney who had no IDEA he or she appeared on a migration agent's website; my OWN name has been used over the years by people who simply copied my blogs and falsely claimed to work with me.)

We believe there is a fundamental conflict of interest in "unofficial" migration agent/US attorney relationships.  Rarely (if ever) is the migration solution an agent is pushing the "best option" as seen by a truly expert U.S. attorney simply because the complexities of global taxation, IRS rules, "tax residency" considerations all required sophisticated expertise an agent based in Vietnam simply can't provide.  So, with only a superficial understanding of the implications of EB-5 and CBI on a client family, agents can't provide the hard answers.  The agent will say whatever it takes to close the deal and earn their commission, leaving the investor to rely on  foreign lawyers who don't speak their language.  The results - and we've seen this happen in EB-5 over the years -- are mixed messages, manipulated translations, and, in the end, "he said/she said" finger-pointing...when things invariably go wrong.  You can't have accountablilty when no one party has full accountability.

AVS and LatourLaw have not only common ownership but common values in transparency and honesty.  AVS EB-5 Regional Center first embraced the Vietnam market 7 years ago, eventually launching AVS Vietnam as the first (and still ONLY) EB-5 Regional Center with permanent, fully-staffed offices in Vietnam.  AVS Vietnam redefined the Vietnam EB-5 market by being the ONLY firm offering ONE EB-5 Regional Center and the ONLY EB-5 projects backed by Forbes 400 U.S. operating partners - still the only Forbes-pedigree EB-5 offering in history. Through the leadership of AVS Vietnam Director Monica Pham, AVS Vietnam upended the local EB-5 market by strictly complying with U.S. laws prohibiting the use of unlicensed outside brokers, kickbacks, and relying instead on our own market outreach and, most importantly, the constant flew of new referrals from the EB-5 investors who have realized U.S. residency though AVS EB-5.

LatourLaw Vietnam was created earlier this after years of success in the Vietnam migration market.  As AVS Vietnam's trusted client based grew and crew, the demand for full time U.S. immigration and business law expertise made it inevitable.   LatourLaw is the only U.S. business immigration firm with full time offices in Vietnam with a Martindale-Hubble "A/V" Peer Review Rating, the highest such rating available to any individual lawyer (law firms are given the rating of the highest rated individual attorney.)  An "A/V" rating shows that an attorney has reached the highest level of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. 

Q: How Is LatourLaw Vietnam’s Grenada/E-2 Turnkey Program different from what all other Vietnam agents are selling? 

A: LatourLaw Vietnam offers a comprehensive, one-stop solution for your family's immigration process. LatourLaw Vietnam, as the Vietnam office of one of America’s most respected investment immigration law firms, has established a Vietnam-specific solution for Vietnamese investors looking to expeditiously begin life in the U.S. without waiting for extensive EB-5 backlogs and timelines.  LatourLaw Vietnam’s Grenada/E-2 Turnkey program entails three critical aspects: 

• DIAGNOSIS: An expert assessment of your migration goals, objectives and timelines to see the optimal solution for YOUR family.  Sometimes Grenada CBI is part of it; sometimes a U.S. E-2 Treaty Investor visa is part of it.  Sometimes both are a part of it and sometimes NEITHER is the right solution.  LLVN has the veteran expertise to steer you to the best option for your family. 

• PLANNING:  The process of securing a third country passport, using the E-2 option to procure a U.S. investment, making that new U.S. enterprise a reality and moving your family to the U.S. in a 6-12 month period is no minor feat, but LatourLaw Vietnam is up for the challenge.  Coordinating everything from school timelines to visa process sequences to U.S. enterprise formation, location leases, tax planning, etc.. our Turnkey program is a carefully choreographed ballet of coordination between our Saigon, Miami, and Grenada teams, all in constant communication for each family's specific needs.  Each investor family will have their own unique journey...but ALL families will share the single contact, Vietnamese-language support and expertise they deserve. 

• EXECUTION: Once your family's multi-tiered migration plan is in place, LatourLaw Vietnam will handle all aspects of the process, keeping you updated on a “real time” basis.  You will have ONE point of contact who will serve as the information "clearinghouse" for all aspects of the migration process.  No chasing lawyers in the U.S.; no unreturned phone calls from local agents.  From funding to escrow to contract reviews to collaborating with your U.S. business partners or franchise, LatourLaw Vietnam’s Saigon Tower becomes your de facto “home office” from which you will see your family’s planned future unfold smoothly, guided by the best professionals in the business.  

Q: What are the advantages of Grenada as a CBI program…what about all the others out there?

 A: LatourLaw and AVS have both been approached by jurisdictions marketing other CBI programs for years, but in the past never agreed to represent one. The reason: few offered any strategic advantage to a Vietnamese investor.  After meeting with Grenada’s Ambassador in Miami and arranging Grenada country and project visits by team members from Vietnam and the U.S., LatourLaw agreed to represent Grenada’s CBI program due to its ability to deliver the E-2 Treaty Trader visa option, it’s transparency, and many other detailed considerations which place Grenada’s CBI offering at the very pinnacle of CBI programs.  In fact, LatourLaw ONLY works with Grenada's CBI program because it is the only program we would invest in for our OWN families.

Q: How complicated is the Grenada CBI program? 

A: The Grenada CBI process is convenient and simple, and Grenadian citizenship comes with many benefits:

• Fast processing - Citizenship in 90 to 120 days
• Allows up to four (4) generations of family members (now including unwed siblings) to obtain citizenship through a single application
• Investment property can be resold as a qualifying citizenship investment to a secondary purchaser after only 3 years
• Citizenship is granted for life and can be passed on the future generations
• Commonwealth country, with visa free travel to over 120 countries including China, Russia, the Schengen States, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore 

Q: Grenada sounds very interesting...can my family and I move to Grenada and later decide on whether or not to invest in an E-2 visa in the U.S.? 

A: Absolutely!  And our advice to those who are uncertain about moving to the U.S. is to "test drive" Grenada as a place of residence before commiting to an E-2 investment...you can always do that later as a Grenada passport holder.

Unlike other CBI countries, Grenada offers CBI investors a remarkably beautiful, safe, and growing community which merits serious consideration as a residency destination of its own.  While there there is no residency requirement to get the CBI passport and those heading on to an E-2 investment in the U.S. may not even visit the island, those looking for great entrepreneurial opportunities in a tax-friendly, transparent, and corruption-free community need look no further.  In fact, since only income from sources in Grenada is taxed and Grenada has no capital gains, inheritance or wealth tax, it is the perfect final destination for Vietnamese investors who have highly profitable businesses and income streams in Vietnam and who want the best of both worlds:  visa-free travel to much of the world and the option of investing in a U.S. business while legally avoiding U.S. taxation of foreign income…all while residing in one of the most beautiful islands in Caribbean. 

Q: But what about educational opportunities in Grenada? 

A: Grenada is really one great, big “educational opportunity” in that not only is it home to one of the most recognized international medical universities in the world, but it has rich demand and opportunities for the development of private education, vocational schools and the businesses that support them.  St. George’s University in Grenada is accredited as one of the best offshore American medical schools. it is attended by approximately 8,000 students from all over the world (140 countries), and in fact 1 out of every 100 doctors in the USA is a graduate of St. George’s University in Grenada.  SGU defines much of the "face" of today's Grenada, and today the community demands range from private schools to new cuisine restaurants to a myriad of healthcare, infrastructure and business demands.  Grenada is growing, and it needs sharp Vietnamese entrepreneurs to help it grow!

 Q: If my child attends St. George’s University after I invest in Grenada’s CBI program, will he/she get “in-state” tuition? 

A: Even better! What Grenada offers is far more than any U.S. jurisdiction can offer in-state students: as citizens of Grenada, CBI investors or family members who choose to reside in Grenada for at least one year are entitled to 90% reduced tuition fees for all undergraduate programs at the St. George’s University including pre-med and pre-vet studies.  That is not a typo:  if you choose Grenada CBI for your family, your kids' tuition at SGU can be 10% of what other parents are paying!

Q: The educational and tax-friendly upsides of Grenada are very convincing, but how will my family from Saigon, with all its hustle and bustle, adapt to what looks like a very small and quiet community? 

A: [Note from Monica: the response below is taken from an emailed response Jose gave to one of our prospective investors.  Like most of Jose's responses, this one is LOOOONG but he will not let me edit it because he says it is "ALL important"...you decide for yourself (-;] 

“Mr. XX, when I first went to Grenada in 1986, apart from having the loveliest beaches in the Southern Caribbean, the island was much like other islands in the region:  great places for a lazy vacation, fishing, and relaxing.  At the time of my first visit in ’86, St. George’s University was 10 years old and the island was picking up the pieces after a Marxist military coup in 1979 had led to U.S. intervention and the restoration of the democratic government. 

The Grenada of 2018, apart from its still-pristine beauty, beaches, mountains and waters, bears little resemblance to the one I saw in 1986:  a small campus of several hundred students has transformed into a stunning university home to some 7500 studends, a faculty of over 2300, and an international community of over 20,000 alumni who remain involved and in contact with Grenada.  I would compare life in Grenada today to the years I lived in Gainesville, Florida, where the University of Florida is located and where I got both of my degrees and both of my sons got theirs.  Although I prefer the tropical environment of Grenada to the steamy summers of north Florida, both Gainesville and Grenada share my favorite attributes of what Americans call  a typical “college town”: 

• tightly integrated communities where everything and everyone is somehow involved with the University

• a diverse international culture featuring faculty and students from all over the world, bringing a kaleidoscope of cultural traditions and international networking opportunities with them

• a lively arts and entertainment scene ranging from classical orchestras to visiting contemporary acts, from traditional ethnic events to beachfront parties on beautiful Grand Anse Beach

You ask me how your family would adapt and my sincere response is "I think they will LOVE it."  Remember:  I myself am a "big city" guy! I grew up in Miami, which is a lot more like Ho Chi Minh (minus the motorbikes, LOL) than most other big cities.  When I started college in Gainesville at the age of 17, it was like moving to a whole new world.  But I quickly adapted to "college life" and the transition was so positive and compelling that I returned from Miami for law school and then AGAIN moved back from Miami to raise my sons there.  

Having lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I can tell you that airline accessibility is critical.   Unlike most other islands in the Caribbean, Grenada is served daily by American Airlines and there are flights to and from Miami daily. Additionally, there are flights to London and other European cities.  It’s quite interesting, really: once you settle in a place like Grenada and begin to absorb what it has to offer, it becomes “home”, but we humans are restless souls, and we want OPTIONS.  Even if your family settles happily in Grenada and rarely travels, the OPTION to leave the island and change scenery is always there!   

I hope this helps! 

Best, Jose

P.S. Mr. XX, if you DO decide to move to Grenada, make sure you build an extra bedroom into the house....I will be visiting you VERY regularly…(-;<

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