Immigration rule changes in 2022
35 dated rule changes recorded in 2022, from 2022-01-01 to 2022-11-01. Each item links to the programme page and the official source we recorded it from. This is a record of what we captured, not a complete legislative history.
← All updates & policy changes
November 2022 (1)
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment: Dominica joined the CARICOM Enhanced Due Diligence framework, introducing standardised background-check requirements shared across Caribbean CBI programmes, including mandatory third-party screening for all adult applicants.
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October 2022 (4)
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa: D8 Digital Nomad visa launched, formalising remote worker residency pathway.
source →Colombia Digital Nomad Visa (Nómada Digital): Colombia DN visa (V-13) introduced via Resolution 5477.
source →Austria Red-White-Red Card: Austria expanded the Red-White-Red Card with significant reforms: lowered salary thresholds, expanded shortage-occupation list, added regular-employee track for tourism/agriculture sectors, simplified points criteria.
source →Malaysia DE Rantau Digital Nomad Pass: Malaysia DE Rantau Nomad Pass officially launched by MDEC. First digital nomad pass for Malaysia. Eligibility for tech/digital economy professionals with foreign income.
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September 2022 (2)
New Zealand Investor 2 Visa: Investor 2 category closed; replaced by Active Investor Plus with weighted-investment model and emphasis on direct equity.
source →Thailand Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa: Thailand Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa programme launched by BOI, replacing older Elite-style programs.
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August 2022 (1)
Latvia Real Estate Residence Permit (MPR): Latvia suspended issuance of new investment-based residence permits (including the real estate MPR route) to Russian and Belarusian nationals, as part of coordinated Baltic-region measures following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exact effective date is approximate and should be reconfirmed with PMLP.
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July 2022 (2)
Greek Citizenship by Descent / Registration of Homogeneis: The General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad launched a digital platform to support diaspora citizenship applications, reducing some paperwork burdens and enabling consular submissions to be partially completed online.
source →Portuguese Citizenship for Sephardic Jewish Descendants: Lei 26/2022 introduced tighter due-diligence requirements for the Sephardic route, including stricter criteria for community certification bodies and enhanced documentation standards. This was the last substantive reform before the program's closure.
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June 2022 (7)
Malta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment: European Court of Justice Advocate General issued opinion that Malta's program may breach EU law by effectively selling citizenship without genuine links. Malta disputed the characterisation and continues to operate the program.
source →Turkish Citizenship by Investment: Presidential Decree raised the minimum real estate investment threshold from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000. The mandatory independent property appraisal requirement was simultaneously tightened to prevent inflated declared values.
source →Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment: Antigua and Barbuda suspended acceptance of applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and related international sanctions pressure.
Antigua and Barbuda rule changes
source →Grenada Citizenship by Investment: Grenada suspended processing of applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals in response to international sanctions pressure, consistent with the position taken by other CARICOM CBI jurisdictions at that time. Status subject to ongoing policy review.
source →St Lucia Citizenship by Investment: St Lucia suspended acceptance of applications from Russian and Belarusian nationals in line with international sanctions pressure affecting Caribbean CBI programs broadly.
source →Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H): Post-complaints revision: Silver tier introduced at RM 500,000 FD; income kept at RM 40,000/mo. Three-tier structure (Silver/Gold/Platinum) established.
source →Turkey Short-Term Residence Permit: Expanded "closed neighborhoods" list restricting where foreigners can register ikamet, especially in Istanbul.
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May 2022 (2)
UK High Potential Individual (HPI) Visa: High Potential Individual visa launched, creating the UK's first unsponsored route specifically targeting recent graduates of elite overseas universities.
source →Hungarian Citizenship by Descent / Simplified Naturalization: The European Commission formally raised concerns about Hungary's simplified naturalization program in the context of EU citizenship integrity. The Commission's investigation into the program's due diligence standards has led some consulates to increase scrutiny of applications, particularly from applicants in non-neighboring countries.
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April 2022 (1)
Slovak Citizenship by Descent (Living Abroad Slovak Act): Slovakia amended the Act on Slovaks Living Abroad and lifted the prohibition on dual citizenship for naturalising Slovaks. Descendants of Slovak emigrants up to three generations may now apply for expedited naturalisation; previously dual-citizenship loss for naturalising Slovaks deterred many applicants.
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March 2022 (5)
UAE Golden Visa: UAE Golden Visa eligibility significantly broadened: investors, specialized talents, entrepreneurs, scientists, outstanding students, frontline workers, and humanitarian pioneers all added. Real estate investors with mortgages now eligible if equity ≥ AED 2M. Previous AED 5M investment threshold reduced to AED 2M.
United Arab Emirates rule changes
source →Argentine Citizenship by Descent (Opción de Nacionalidad) & Ancestry-Based Naturalization: Federal courts in Buenos Aires streamlined the carta de ciudadanía docket for applicants who can document at least one Argentine grandparent, reducing average judicial processing time in high-volume districts.
source →E-2 Treaty Investor Visa: EB-5 reform indirectly affected E-2: Grenada CBI route to E-2 remained, and some E-2-to-EB-5 upgrade paths clarified.
source →EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa: EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act: reauthorised Regional Center program through 2027; raised TEA to $800k, non-TEA to $1.05M; reserved categories for rural (20%), high-unemployment (10%), infrastructure (2%); enhanced fraud protection.
source →Ukrainian Citizenship by Origin / Repatriation: Wartime martial law (declared 24 February 2022) has affected administrative timing but not legal eligibility. Consular operations continued; Presidential decrees granting citizenship continue to be issued through the wartime period.
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February 2022 (1)
Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment (DSP / VDSP): The European Union formally suspended visa-free Schengen access for Vanuatu passport holders under Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, citing due-diligence and integrity concerns about the DSP program. This suspension applies to all Vanuatu passports regardless of how citizenship was obtained. Vanuatu nationals must now apply for a Schengen visa in advance.
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January 2022 (9)
US L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa: USCIS confirmed L-2 spouses are automatically authorised to work without separate EAD application — major practical improvement for transferring families.
source →Brazil Digital Nomad Visa (VITEM XIV): CNIg Normative Resolution No. 45 (dated 9 September 2021) was published in the Diário Oficial da União (DOU no. 16, section 1, page 104) and entered into force on publication (Art. 8); it created the Digital Nomad temporary visa and residence authorisation.
source →Jordanian Citizenship by Investment: Jordan tightened compliance and source-of-funds documentation requirements for CBI applicants, partly in response to FATF mutual evaluation findings. The General Intelligence Directorate (GID) expanded its security-screening protocols for citizenship-by-investment applicants.
source →Croatian Citizenship by Descent / Origin: Major amendment to the Croatian Citizenship Act came into force: removed the requirement for descent applicants to demonstrate active engagement with Croatian culture / language; expanded eligibility to descendants up to three generations; introduced fast-track procedures for the global Croatian diaspora.
source →Lithuanian Citizenship by Descent (Restoration of Citizenship): Lithuania updated procedural guidance for foreign-resident applicants processing citizenship applications through Lithuanian consulates, streamlining the documentation submission process and introducing digital appointment booking for consular submissions.
source →Belgium Single Permit: Belgium introduced the New Expat Tax Regime (BBIK / Régime National Impatrié), replacing the prior Special Tax Regime. 30% of remuneration tax-free for 5 years extendable by 3.
source →Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa: Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa introduced, allowing non-EU remote workers to legally reside and work remotely from Cyprus for up to one year, renewable.
source →Puerto Rico Act 60 (Individual Resident Investor & Export Services): Annual charitable-contribution requirement for Individual Resident Investor decree holders increased from USD 5,000 to a total of roughly USD 10,000/year, with a portion earmarked for Puerto Rico nonprofits addressing child poverty, amid criticism that the original programme extracted too little local benefit relative to the tax savings granted to newcomers.
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