Selling citizenship is big business More than a dozen countries sell “golden visas” to people willing to invest in a country’s economy under Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIPs), raising some $3 billion a year Mehul Choksi: Indian billionaire – wanted in connection with $2 billion fraud – is citizen of Antigua and Barbuda Thaksin Shinawatra: Ousted prime minister of Thailand, rumoured to be a citizen of Cambodia and Montenegro Daphne Caruana Galizia: Journalist assassinated last year while investigating Maltese government corruption CIP minimum costs (all costs in U.S. dollars) New Zealand $3,300,000 UK $2,600,000 Cyprus $2,400,000 Austria $2,315,000 Australia $1,100,000 U.S. $1,000,000 Malta $765,000 Canada $640,000 Bulgaria $612,000 Portugal $419,200 Montenegro $406,000 Cambodia $245,220 Grenada $200,000 Antigua and Barbuda $200,000 St Kitts and Nevis $200,000 Vanuatu $160,000 Saint Lucia $100,000 Dominica $100,000 Sources: Henley Partners, CS Global Partners Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS