Many Governments Are "Phasing Out of Passive Residency Programs": 10 on The Weekend With David Lincoln - IMI - Investment Migration Insider (2024)

10 On The Weekend is a weekly (-ish) feature in IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each time, we ask the same ten questions of a different IMI Pro, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might during the ordinary course of business.

Our guest this week isDavid Lincoln, Founder and CEO atLincoln Global Partners.

How do you spend your weekends?

I divide my time between several different locations, so what I do during the weekend depends on where I am.

Recently, I have been spending most of my time between Brazil and Paraguay.

While I’m here in São Paulo, a huge Brazilian concrete jungle with a staggering 22 million residents, I like to escape during the weekends with my girlfriend and get out into nature whenever I can.

Whether that’s heading to one of the nearby beach towns, getting out into the countryside to do some trekking, or simply visiting one of the city’s parks. This country is full of incredible natural landscapes, and São Paulo state is no different once you get out of the big city.

I also like to eat! Since I follow a fairly fixed diet during weekdays, when it comes to the weekend, I like to meet up with friends and tuck into a good old South American barbecue. While both countries do barbecues exceptionally well, Paraguay takes the edge when it comes to their incredible Asados!

What are your top three business goals this year?

1 – We have a very tight-knit team at Lincoln Global Partners, which we are very proud to have. That said, by the end of the year, we are looking to expand our remote-based marketing and sales team.

We want to bring on an experienced salesperson, possibly a B2B relations manager.

2 – While we are predominantly focused on our online-centric business model, which allows us to provide smooth service for both our clients and our B2B partners at reasonable costs, we also wish to establish a physical presence in a few key markets.

We recently brought on two consultants based in India, so expanding into the Indian market is definitely a goal. Mr. Shivam Tomar and Aaditya Sharma are based in New Delhi and doing a fantastic job representing Lincoln Global Partners on the ground.

3 – Our third goal is to raise more awareness of lesser-known residency programs. As the industry continues to evolve, it is clear that many governments are shifting attention towards more ‘active’ residency by investment programs and also targeting specific groups like Digital Nomads and Retirees who are likely to spend more time (and therefore money) living in their new country of residency.

Outside of our popular Citizenship By Investment and Golden Visa programs, Lincoln Global Partners works with alternative residency programs in Europe and Latin America, such as economic means programs and digital nomad visa programs.

It was great to see that many of these programs were present in IMI’s Unsung Investment Migration Program Series.

What’s your biggest business concern right now?

This question follows my previous point nicely. My main concern is the world’s slow phasing out of passive residency and citizenship through investment programs.

As a whole, the investment migration industry clearly isn’t going anywhere, and there are many savvy entrepreneurs in this industry, so when one door closes, another one opens.

We have seen this recently, particularly in Portugal, with how many service providers have developed innovative investment fund products to meet the new requirements.

A number of firms are also making active business residency programs more digestible and marketable for investment migration practitioners, which is good to see.

Therefore, I see this more as an opportunity than a major concern. I think the transition will be slow, but it is crucial to think ahead.

Which book is on your nightstand right now?

I am currently reading The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. The book explores how cultural differences impact international business and communication.

It is certainly a good read, given our type of business!

How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?

I left the UK when I was 19 years of age, and other than a three-year stint at university, I have been nomadic ever since.

During this time, I worked remotely for a wealth management company in Brazil and various other businesses. However, it was always my goal to launch my own business. When I discovered the investment migration industry around seven years ago, I was completely hooked.

I started flying around Europe and networking with people in the industry. It is kind of funny when I look back. I would turn up to meetings with my little notepad and vigorously take notes, trying to learn everything that I possibly could.

I met and spoke with some very successful people in the field, brainstormed, and tried to figure out the direction I would take for the business.

One of the people I met during this period was IMI’s very own Christian Nesheim, who was very supportive of my plans. I started working for Investment Migration Insider and spent a good couple of years with IMI, which allowed me to enhance my knowledge in the field and build a network in the industry.

In 2019, after months of planning, my business partner Peter Lilliott and I launched Lincoln Global Partners. We have since onboarded clients from more than 20 countries around the world, built a solid team, and grown a network of partners and agents across all continents.

What was your proudest moment as a service provider?

As I am sure you all agree, the beauty of this business lies in how much our products and services can positively impact people’s lives.

My proudest moment was assisting one of our clients, whose daughter is a young and highly talented athlete. However, she is not currently a citizen in her country of residence and could not compete in regional tournaments despite being one of the most talented players in her sport.

Since receiving her Caribbean Citizenship, she now competes for her new country and has a good chance of going very far in the sport. For privacy reasons, I cannot disclose the specific country or sport for now. However, we will be sure to let you know when she qualifies for her first Olympics!

Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?

The launch of Hungary’s golden visa has come as a pleasant surprise.

Yes, there have been many changes this year to CBI and golden visa programs, including some significant price hikes and potential closures. Still, we remain bullish on some of the residency by investment programs, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

Hungary’s GIP is an interesting option, and the Latvia Golden Visa program is gaining traction again as the most affordable golden visa in the European Union.

I have spent a fair bit of time in Eastern Europe and am particularly fond of the Balkan region. It will be interesting to see if any new programs pop up there in the next few years.

If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?

This is always a tricky question. I am a firm believer of the “butterfly effect,” in which each small decision we make has the capacity to send us down an entirely different path, and I am certainly very happy with the current trajectory.

That said, looking back, I should probably have chosen to cut down the miles earlier than I did and start spending more significant periods in each place. Now that I am staying longer in the bases that I have set up, I am certainly seeing the benefits of increased productivity.

What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?

It’s got to be Mr. Nomad Capitalist – Andrew Henderson. I’ve followed his journey since 2016, and it has been inspiring to see how he and his business have developed over the past decade.

I believe that Andrew’s YouTube channel has done wonders for the industry and introduced a significant number of people to it, particularly in the US, which has become one of the industry’s most important markets.

Secondly, I would like to give a shout out to Steve Iduh from AD & Partners in Nigeria. Steve has been our partner in the Nigerian market since the beginning, and I have always been impressed by his tireless work ethic and positive attitude.

If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now

Within five years, I will be out of the big city and living in a medium-sized beach town or city, at least on a semi-permanent basis.

This will most likely be in Latin America. The city/island of Florianopolis in Brazil is a top candidate. I plan to start a family in this part of the world and build my life across this beautiful continent.

In terms of business, Lincoln Global Partners’ goal is to become one of the world’s leading investment migration firms for global citizens and digital nomads. We plan to focus on some specific niches, and this will become evident in the forthcoming months.