Golden visa debate continues even after Latvia's new Immigration Law takes effect
Although Latvia's new Immigration Law, drafted by Saeima over more than four years, took effect in September, debate over so-called golden visas continues, uniting political forces that otherwise rarely agree.
In mid-September this year, Latvia's new Immigration Law took effect after Saeima worked on drafting it for more than four years. Yet the law's adoption has not closed the debate over immigration policy.
So-called golden visas — temporary residence permits that foreigners can obtain in exchange for investment in Latvia's economy — remain on politicians' agenda. Latvian Television's programme "de facto" notes that this is one of the rare issues where political forces that otherwise cannot find common ground end up aligning with each other.
Discussion continues
Connected to this topic is also an idea around so-called business immigration — a proposal associated with politician Atis Kulbergs, which would allow foreign entrepreneurs to obtain Latvian tax resident status on a subscription basis.
The question of investment-based residence permits in Latvia has remained on the political agenda for several years already. It touches on both national security considerations and economic interests in attracting foreign capital to Latvia's economy. Despite the adoption of the new regulation, disagreements over the specific conditions under which such immigration should be allowed have not been resolved, and the topic continues to draw political interest across different parties.
