The COVID-19 pandemic crippled the global economy. With this, flights in and out of certain countries were banned to curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, two families from Kerala were in news for travelling to Dubai on an Emirates flight despite a temporary suspension of flight from the COVID-hit India.

The key to their entry into Dubai was a golden visa. In view of the COVID-19 situation, privilege visas have become a primary asset for most, because it allows commuters to travel, especially from COVID-hit countries, despite travel ban.

Privilege visas

A privilege visa follows a system similar to a type of immigrant investor programme, allowing individuals to acquire residence or citizenship of a country in return for making qualifying investments, India Today reported.

These programmes can be practised by either citizenship by investment, aka ‘golden passport‘ or ‘cash-for-passport’, residence by investment known as ‘golden visa’, or a hybrid with immediate residence followed by accelerated citizenship.

There can be many types of investment. This may include a contribution to government funds, purchase of qualifying real estate or creation of a set number of jobs.

“With globalisation, many countries use the stability of their economy and society to attract investors – the rich and powerful and elite – through this special category of visas. This facilitates easy entry and exit and longer stay as well as facilities equivalent to those given to a citizen of that country,” former secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Amrendra Khatua told Indian Today.

Visas and their different categories.

Visas are general divided into two categories – General and Functional. While ‘general’ is only for tourism purposes, ‘functional’ is for business, work, spousal among other things.

The third category is when people stay in a country without visa as asylum-seekers.

However, if ‘functional’ is further bisected, individuals may obtain ‘privilege visas’ based on their investments or by buying long-stay visas.

List of countries giving ‘citizenship by investment’ or privilege visa.

Citizenship can be acquired through investments in St. Kitts and Nevis, Malta, Dominica, and Turkey. 

Countries exempting individuals from the investment.

Abkhazia, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Latvia, Monaco, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.