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Match with verified immigration lawyers for work permits, retirement visas, investor residency, family reunification, CBI & citizenship by descent. Radical transparency on fees, timelines & tax.

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✅ 2,400+ verified lawyers 🌍 95+ countries 💬 Avg reply < 4 hrs

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Last data update: July 2026 · Sources labeled on every score

How it works

Four steps. Zero BS. Completely free for you.

2,400+

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Cost to you. Always.

Not legal or immigration advice. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney before making decisions.

Real exits. Real people.

Including boutique / HNW white-glove journeys.

U.S. citizens

For Americans — without the hype

Easy long-stay options (COFA, Georgia, Albania, and more) framed as practical “leave for a while” choices — plus the hard truth about worldwide U.S. tax, FEIE, and why influencer “tax escape” claims are usually overstated.

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Passport corridors · goal · budget · citizenship timelines

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Browse destinations with photos and a short overview — filter by region, language, dual citizenship, and fee band. Open any card for visas, timelines, and matched lawyers.

Last data update: July 2026 Press / to focus search

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Not legal or immigration advice. Scores and fee bands are illustrative estimates in USD — always verify with counsel and official sources.

Lawyer Directory

Verified individuals & firms. Filter hard. Chat free. Free 30-min consult after signup. No platform cut on fees.

Last data update: July 2026

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✓ Verified Lux Premier 🎁 30-min free consult*
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About

Years practicing
Education

Degrees & law schools

Credentials / Bar
Founded / Size
Languages
Success rate
Avg response

Legal fees by household (TOTAL case fee)

1 person
Couple (total for both)
Family 2+2 (whole-family total)

Estimates in USD · government fees billed separately

Contact & messaging

Phone
Email
Location
Telegram
WeChat ID

Message directly

WhatsApp Telegram Signal

Demo contact handles for illustration. Verify channels independently before sharing sensitive documents.

Ratings & reviews

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Dual citizenship: ·

Blocs & organizations

Membership affects free movement, residence facilitation, and which passport to use when you hold multiple nationalities. Always verify current status with counsel.

Sovereign credit rating

S&P
Moody’s
Fitch
Score

Investment climate

FDI / business attractiveness composite

Score

Illustrative for matching — not a buy/sell recommendation or official agency quote for a specific bond issue.

Last data update: July 2026 · Not legal or investment advice

Where is ?

OpenStreetMap

This is how much the visa itself will cost you

Government fees first (USD). Couple & family figures are TOTAL household charges — not a per-person sticker that you multiply.

← Swipe for all fee columns →

Who’s applying Govt fees (TOTAL) Legal fees (est.) All-in est.
1 personPrincipal applicant
Couple2 adults — total for both
Family2 adults + 2 children — whole-family total

Region: · Legal fees are separate professional charges · Estimates only

Timelines

Adjusted for quiz passport:

Which passport to use

Temporary residency

Permanent residency

Citizenship / 2nd passport

Generic estimates when nationality is unknown. Complete the quiz passport question (multi-select) for passport-specific timelines (Spain Ibero-American track, Mercosur, CPLP, ECOWAS, EU free movement, etc.).

Visa categories

Scores (sourced)

Language-matched lawyers & firms

Not legal or immigration advice. Fees, timelines, and dual-citizenship rules are estimates or general summaries — pathways are subject to approval and change. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney. Local currency may apply; amounts shown in USD.

Compare Visas

Government fees first. Then legal fees, totals, tax fit, citizenship speed & dual citizenship. Pick up to 4 countries.

/ 4 selected

Comparing

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Pick 2–4 countries to compare

Use the dropdown or quick-pick chips above. Government fees (USD) always show first in the table.

← Swipe table sideways to see all countries →

Metric
Household totals →
Govt · 1 person
Govt · couple (total)
Govt · family total (2+2)
Legal · 1 person
Legal · couple (total)
Legal · family total
All-in · 1 person
All-in · couple (total)
All-in · family total
Tax fit
Sovereign credit (S&P)
Investment climate
Blocs & orgs
Citizenship (your passport)
Dual citizenship
Safety
Healthcare
Top visa

Not legal or immigration advice. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney before making decisions.

Invitation · Private · Premier

Lux / White Glove

An exclusive desk of thevisa.app for principals who want carefully selected premier firms, transparent fee stacks, and no mark-up theatre.

Access

Boutique firms only

One carefully chosen premier practice per market — not a free-for-all directory. Quality over quantity.

Middlemen

None by default

You engage counsel directly on thevisa.app. We introduce; we do not insert ourselves into your mandate unless you hire white-glove coordination.

Pricing

Fully transparent

The same clear government, investment, and legal ranges for every principal. No wealth-based upcharge on our side.

Our revenue

Zero from CBI capital

thevisa.app earns nothing from Citizenship by Investment or residency programs — only from law firms that subscribe to appear here.

Optional

Founder white-glove intermediary

Prefer not to coordinate with firms yourself? Hire a founder for a single flat fee. Coordination and introductions only — legal work stays with the licensed firm you engage.

  • Flat fee · no percentage of investment or AUM
  • Never required · direct chat remains free
  • Demo request only on this site

Engagement fee

$10,000

USD · one engagement

Counsel

Premier firms

One exclusive practice per country. Eight desks. No volume listing.

Illustrative sample desks for this demo. Always verify credentials with the relevant bar or regulator.

Pathways

Ultra-high-end programs

Elite citizenship and high-threshold European residency only. Standard CBI stacks and ordinary golden visas live on the main catalog.

Citizenship & direct high-end options

El Salvador

~$1M

Investment-linked citizenship discussed near USD $1 million class capital. Status may evolve — confirm whether a program is enacted and open. Not a low-ticket CBI product.

Verify law · estimated · no outcome promised

Highest-tier Caribbean CBI

~$250k–$300k+

St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica — full donation/investment + government/DD + legal stacks on the main CBI page. Here we surface only the top capital bands with premier-firm execution in mind.

All-in est. · dual rules vary · verify DD

Jordan

~$750k–$1M

High-capital investment / deposit pathways. Dual citizenship often restricted — confirm nationality law. Estimated ranges for planning only.

Cambodia high-ticket routes

~$1M–$3M

Priority-sector investment (~$1M) or multi-million budget donation framing. Dual citizenship may be permitted — verify royal decrees and current thresholds.

Trump Gold Card / Platinum Card

~$1M+

Publicly discussed U.S. high-ticket contribution / investment-linked pathways (Gold near $1M; Platinum as a proposed higher tier). Not a substitute for enacted statute until law and regulation exist. Premier U.S. immigration counsel essential.

Proposed / verify legislation · not guaranteed

Singapore high-value residency

Multi-million

Global Investor Programme and related family-office pathways. Elite residency — not standard digital-nomad products. Confirm GIP and related rules with official sources.

Elite European residency (high threshold)

Malta · exceptional & high-capital residence

High six–seven figures

Elite residence and exceptional contribution framing when open. Not a standard mid-market golden visa. Genuine link and due diligence intensity apply. Verify current Residence / Agency rules.

Austria · investment & settlement intensity

UHNW scale

Among Europe’s most selective economic / settlement contexts. Cabinet-level citizenship is Citizenship by Merit territory (below). Residency is not a commodity product.

Greece · elevated investment residency

Higher band (verify)

Where higher real-estate or investment thresholds apply in designated areas, treat as an elite residency pathway — not the lowest published band. Confirm current investment migration unit figures.

Portugal · Spain · Italy (high-end tracks)

Path-dependent

Focus on the costliest active investment or high-net-worth residence categories when open — not standard D7/nomad products. Programs reform frequently; verify AIMA / national units. Full country guides list ordinary pathways separately.

Standard lists live elsewhere. Full CBI household fee tables → . Ordinary visas and scores → .

Discretionary

Citizenship by Merit

Important: Citizenship by Merit routes are significantly more difficult, more involved, and lower volume than normal CBI. They generally require substantially higher financial contributions or exceptional achievements. Approvals are highly discretionary. There is no fixed price list and no guaranteed outcome.

Austria

Cabinet-level exceptional services under nationality law. UHNW economic or exceptional non-financial contribution. Very low volume.

Malta

Exceptional contribution / Citizenship by Merit framing (science, enterprise, philanthropy, etc.) with genuine-link assessment. Case-by-case — never a cash-for-passport product.

Other discretionary desks

Similar cabinet or presidential tracks exist in a handful of jurisdictions. Always lower volume and higher friction than marketed CBI.

Not legal, tax, or investment advice. Estimates in USD. Always verify with official sources or a licensed attorney. thevisa.app is not a party to any investment or citizenship contract.

CBI & Citizenship by Merit catalog

Citizenship by Investment & Citizenship by Merit

Straightforward USD stacks for standard CBI programs (Caribbean, regional, and lower-capital routes) with government-side costs shown first. Household totals for 1 person, couple, and family.

Last data update: July 2026 · Estimates — verify with counsel & official gazettes · Not legal advice

For ultra-premium programs (~$1M El Salvador, Singapore UHNW residency, high-ticket Jordan/Cambodia, proposed Trump Gold/Platinum pathways) and premier gold-tier firms, use the separate desk — not this table.

Citizenship by Investment (CBI)

Predictable & transactional

  • ✓ Published investment / donation minimums
  • ✓ Structured due diligence & fee schedules
  • ✓ Faster, more productized process (still not guaranteed)
  • ✓ Clearer all-in USD stacks for planning

Citizenship by Merit

Discretionary & high-prestige

  • ✓ Exceptional economic, scientific, cultural or public service
  • ✓ Cabinet / presidential / royal decision bodies
  • ✓ Often no fixed price — higher effective cost & lower volume
  • ✓ Realistic mainly for UHNW or outstanding achievement profiles
Industry note

How most CBI & residency marketing companies work

Before you compare program numbers, it helps to understand the typical commercial structure of the investment-migration industry. This is general education about common practices — not a claim about every intermediary, and not legal advice.

  • Many are not law firms. A large share of “citizenship by investment” and residency promoters are marketing companies or referral intermediaries. They sell introductions and packaging, not regulated legal advice in the client’s jurisdiction of filing.
  • Large referral cuts are common. It is typical for intermediaries to take a substantial share of the commercial fees paid in the chain — often in the range of roughly 10–50% or more of those intermediary / legal-side fees — for introducing the client to a law firm, agent, or program channel. Exact percentages vary by program and contract; the point is that the middle layer is frequently expensive.
  • Value can be thin relative to cost. In many cases the intermediary adds little beyond acting as a middleman: routing forms, scheduling, and marketing materials. Substantive legal work, due diligence, and submissions still sit with licensed counsel or authorized agents.
  • Extra layers can slow you down. More parties in the chain often mean delayed answers, mixed messages, and higher total cost — without improving government processing times.

How thevisa.app is different. We do not take a cut of any Citizenship by Investment or residency program investment, donation, or government fee. We only earn from lawyers and law firms that advertise on the platform. You deal directly with the firm — chat, messaging, email — with transparent fee ranges shown first. Free account holders get a free 30-minute consultation with any listed lawyer or firm. Optional Lux white-glove coordination is a separate flat service, never a percentage of your capital.

Not legal or investment advice. Always verify program rules and engagement terms with licensed counsel and official sources before wiring funds or signing contracts.

Citizenship by Investment — full USD stacks

Donation/investment + government & due-diligence fees first + estimated lawyer fees = total. Household totals are whole-application, not per-person rates.

🇵🇰 Pakistan CIP Commonwealth citizens only ~Rs 5M · ~USD $18k

Pakistan Citizenship by Investment is available exclusively to citizens of Commonwealth nations (e.g. UK, Canada, Australia, India, Nigeria, Kenya, Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore). Qualifying applicants transfer at least Rs 5,000,000 (~USD $18,000) in foreign exchange to the State Bank of Pakistan, then typically receive an immigrant visa with citizenship granted on arrival (DGIP practice — always verify). See the table row for full USD stack estimates.

Not open to non-Commonwealth passports. Dual citizenship and document checklists depend on your origin country — confirm with licensed counsel and DGIP.

Detail band (for stack breakdown):

All amounts in USD. Couple & family = whole-household totals (not per person). All-in = investment + govt/DD + est. lawyer fees.

No CBI programs match this filter

← Swipe for full CBI price columns →

Program Invest 1p Invest couple Invest family Govt+DD 1p Govt+DD couple Govt+DD family All-in 1 person All-in couple total All-in family total Time Residency

Illustrative USD stacks for planning only — program units change fees without notice. Always confirm with licensed counsel and official sources before wiring funds.

Citizenship by Merit / Exceptional Contribution

Discretionary naturalization for exceptional cases

Important

Citizenship by Merit routes are significantly more difficult, more involved, and generally require substantially higher financial contributions or exceptional achievements than standard Citizenship by Investment programs. Approvals are highly discretionary, volumes are very low, and there is no fixed price or guaranteed outcome. These options are typically only realistic for ultra-high-net-worth individuals or people with outstanding accomplishments.

Every card below lists legal basis, decision body, residency posture, dual citizenship, indicative contribution, and low-volume / non-guarantee notes. Outcomes are never guaranteed. Indicative costs discussed in USD equivalents where noted.

No Citizenship by Merit routes match this residency filter

Upcoming CBI programs

Frameworks announced or confirmed — not yet open for standard applications. Get notified when doors open.

Residency → citizenship notes (illustrative)

These cards summarize possible multi-step paths. Naturalization is almost always discretionary, multi-year, and separate from residency or travel documents. Fees are estimates only. Nothing here promises approval or a passport.

Prefer white-glove boutique counsel?

Filter the directory for Boutique / HNW specialists who handle CBI and discretionary Citizenship by Merit files end-to-end.

Not legal or immigration advice. CBI and Citizenship by Merit routes change or close; figures are estimates in USD unless noted. Citizenship by Merit routes are highly discretionary, low-volume, and generally harder and more expensive in practice than marketed CBI products — outcomes are never guaranteed. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney before making decisions.

For Lawyers & Firms

You pay a simple monthly subscription. Users pay nothing. You keep 100% of your legal fees. We just make the introductions.

🎁 Platform Member Benefit Required for all listed counsel

Member Benefit for free users: After a consumer creates a free account, every lawyer and firm on the platform provides a minimum 30-minute initial consultation at no cost. No payment required to start the conversation.

This keeps the marketplace high-signal for clients and high-intent for you. Paid work begins only after engagement — you still keep 100% of legal fees.

What we collect at signup

Country of practice, full name, bar/license number, credentials, languages, years of experience, and subscription tier. Verification badge after manual review.

HR · Talent mobility · Global hiring

For Companies

Move people without the middleman markup. Transparent destinations, government-first fee ranges, and direct access to verified immigration lawyers — so HR can plan work permits, family packages, and multi-country transfers with fewer surprises.

See the real corridor

Match destinations to nationality, goal, and budget — not a generic “top 10” post. Compare household fee totals before you open a ticket.

Talk to counsel directly

Chat on-platform free. Free 30-minute consultation after signup. You pay the lawyer their fee only — thevisa.app takes $0 of counsel bills.

Track every relocatee

Company dashboard for destinations, visa status, bulk multi-person moves, and shortlisted counsel — built for HR ops.

Simple monthly plans

Priced by how many people you need to relocate. Business at $50/mo is the default for most teams. Demo billing only.

Why mobility teams pick thevisa.app

  • 1No hidden placement fees — subscription is the product cost; counsel bills stay between you and the firm.
  • 2Government fees first on every country card and compare table so finance and HR share one USD view.
  • 3Built for volume — bulk employee moves, destination shortlists, and multi-person status tracking.
  • 4Same lawyer network individuals use — verified profiles, languages, messaging apps when listed.

Not legal or immigration advice. Company plans are demo pricing for this prototype. Always engage licensed counsel for live filings. Free individual accounts remain free; companies pay the monthly tier above.

U.S. citizens · Reality check

For Americans

A lot of online content oversimplifies — or flat-out misleads — Americans about moving abroad, “flag theory,” and escaping U.S. taxes. This page is the opposite of that: practical options when you just want to leave for a while, plus the tax reality that still follows you.

Not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Rules are complex and change. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions.

What the internet gets wrong

Social media and “expat” marketing often sell Americans a story that sounds like the EU free-movement fantasy: pick a beach, hop on a plane, stop paying U.S. tax, start a new life with zero friction. That story is incomplete at best and dangerous at worst.

Relocating is not the same as changing your tax residency as a U.S. citizen. Citizenship-based taxation means the IRS still expects a filing (and often tax) on your worldwide income no matter which stamp is in your passport. Visa-free stays and “easy exit” destinations are useful tools for travel and temporary living — they are not a substitute for tax law, renunciation, or careful planning.

Influencer “flag theory” content that promises easy tax escape by relocating is largely overstated or false for most people. Some advanced structures exist; they are not a weekend YouTube project.

Secondary · convenience · not a tax strategy

Easy practical options — cool places you can go

Think of these as practical options if you just want to leave for a while — interesting secondary possibilities with relatively little immigration friction for many U.S. passport holders. They are not “the American version of the EU,” not a magic exit, and not a tax solution by themselves.

Entry rules, length of stay, work rights, and “undesirable alien” / public-charge style refusals still apply. Always confirm current rules with the destination’s official sources and, for work or long-term plans, licensed counsel.

COFA countries (Compacts of Free Association)

Lower friction

Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Palau

Under the Compacts of Free Association, U.S. citizens generally have broader rights to enter, live, and work in these countries than in a typical foreign destination — often described as primarily needing a plane ticket and accommodation, subject to ordinary immigration controls (including refusal of “undesirable” entrants) and local law. This is not dual citizenship, not U.S. territory status for tax purposes in the way many people assume, and not a path off the U.S. tax map by relocation alone.

  • ·Useful if you want a longer Pacific stay with less paperwork than most countries.
  • ·Still: local taxes, housing, healthcare access, and employment markets are real constraints.
  • ·Reciprocal COFA rules also affect some citizens of those countries in the U.S. — separate topic; confirm current statute and agency practice.

Treat COFA as a mobility convenience, not a life-reset button.

Georgia

~1 year visa-free (typical U.S. passport practice)

Georgia is often cited for long visa-free stays for U.S. citizens (commonly up to one year under published rules — verify the current official duration and any changes). It is a genuine “easy to go hang out for a while” option: interesting cities, relatively open remote-work culture, and lower friction than applying for a multi-year residence permit on day one.

  • ·Good for a long exploratory stay, not automatic permanent residency or citizenship.
  • ·Work rights, business registration, and local tax can differ from “tourist / visitor” status — check before you earn locally.
  • ·U.S. tax filings do not disappear because you spent a year in Tbilisi.

Albania

~1 year visa-free (typical U.S. passport practice)

Albania has also been a popular long visa-free option for U.S. citizens (often up to one year under rules in force at the time of travel — confirm before you book). Coastal towns and Tirana attract remote workers who want low cost and low paperwork for a temporary chapter abroad.

  • ·Again: long stay ≠ tax exit. Plan for U.S. compliance from day one.
  • ·Local registration, insurance, and banking can still take time even when the border is easy.

Other genuinely simpler long-stay patterns

Depending on your goals, these are often discussed as lower-friction or well-documented options for Americans — still secondary conveniences, still not tax magic:

  • ·Mexico — Temporary resident / visitor paths with clear processes for many U.S. citizens; proximity and English support vary by city. Not “set and forget.”
  • ·Panama — Pensionado and other residency categories may grant permanent residency when you qualify (Migración). A special traveler/foreigner passport for some permanent residents is a travel document showing original nationality, not Panamanian citizenship. Naturalization is separate and discretionary.
  • ·Paraguay — Temporary then permanent residency may be available under statute; naturalization is a longer, more demanding step. A bank deposit alone does not equal citizenship.
  • ·Portugal / Spain digital nomad or passive-income style permits — Residence pathways with paperwork and income thresholds when open. Multi-year stay may lead toward eligibility for naturalization — never automatic. EU free movement requires citizenship (or other EU status), not a residence card alone. U.S. tax remains.
  • ·Tourist / visa-run lifestyles — Technically possible in some regions; often unstable, can violate local intent rules, and create bank/visa risk. Not recommended as a “plan.”

Read this carefully

Tax reality for U.S. citizens abroad

This is the section most “quit America” content skips or soft-pedals. Moving does not, by itself, end your relationship with the U.S. tax system.

Worldwide taxation follows U.S. citizens

U.S. citizens (and many green-card holders under different rules) are generally treated as U.S. tax residents on their worldwide income no matter where they live. Living in Georgia, Albania, a COFA state, Portugal, or Dubai does not automatically stop U.S. filing or U.S. tax obligations. Simply moving abroad is not an “easy escape” from U.S. taxes for most people — that influencer claim is largely overstated or false.

What FEIE, foreign tax credits, and related tools actually do

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) can exclude a limited amount of foreign earned income from U.S. tax if you meet strict presence or bona fide residence tests and other rules. It does not exclude all income types (e.g. many investment / passive items are outside FEIE), does not erase filing requirements, and does not make you “tax free” as a lifestyle brand.

Foreign tax credits (FTC) can reduce double tax when you pay tax to another country on the same income — subject to baskets, limitations, and documentation. High local tax can help; low-tax or no-tax destinations often leave more U.S. tax on the table.

Other mechanisms (treaties, housing exclusions, totalization agreements for social security, FBAR / Form 8938 reporting, PFIC rules on foreign funds, etc.) create a thicket of forms and deadlines. Non-compliance has real penalties. None of this is adequately covered by a 60-second reel.

Advanced planning exists — it is not DIY

There are legal structures (foreign corporations, carefully designed residency + tax combinations, controlled foreign corporation rules, etc.) that can reduce or defer U.S. tax in some cases. These are:

  • !Extremely complicated and fact-specific.
  • !Heavily regulated — including anti-deferral and disclosure regimes.
  • !Almost always require specialized cross-border tax attorneys and accountants (and often multi-jurisdiction teams).
  • !Expensive relative to “I bought a one-way ticket” narratives.

This is not DIY territory. Do not implement entity structures, “nomad tax hacks,” or renunciation strategies from social media.

Warning: influencer tax advice

Be skeptical of anyone who implies that a visa stamp, a rental in a low-tax country, or a cheap foreign company template will “get you off the grid.” Many creators are not licensed to give U.S. tax advice, do not know your facts, and will not pay your penalties. Prefer credentialed CPAs / EAs and cross-border tax counsel who put advice in writing and discuss IRS reporting by name.

Sensible next steps on thevisa.app

Use this site for transparent destination and lawyer discovery — not as a tax or exit blueprint. Pair any move plan with professionals who handle U.S. and host-country rules together.

Strong disclaimer

This is not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Nothing on this page creates an attorney–client or advisor–client relationship with thevisa.app. Program rules, visa lengths, COFA practice, FEIE eligibility, treaty positions, and entity taxation are complex and change. Always verify with official government sources and consult qualified, licensed professionals (including cross-border tax counsel where U.S. tax is involved) before you move, structure entities, invest, or renounce status.

thevisa.app connects users with immigration lawyers for visa and residency matters. Tax and corporate structuring typically require separate specialists. Estimates and summaries on this site are illustrative only.

FAQ

Not legal or immigration advice. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney before making decisions.

Transparency

Why isn’t my favorite influencer on here?

A calm, practical answer: thevisa.app is built for direct access to licensed lawyers and law firms. Most residency and CBI “package” sellers on social media do not fit that model — and partnering with them would put users at legal and financial risk.

thevisa.app is not a law firm and does not provide legal or tax advice. This page is for general informational purposes only.

Many package sellers are not licensed professionals

A large number of people who market residency or citizenship packages online are not licensed lawyers and are not qualified tax professionals (such as CPAs or tax attorneys) in the jurisdictions that matter for your move. They may be marketers, coaches, or digital-nomad product sellers. That does not make every one of them dishonest — but it does mean they are usually not the regulated professional you will need when something goes wrong.

Specific legal and tax advice from non-lawyers is a real risk

Despite lacking the right licenses, many of these intermediaries regularly give specific legal and tax advice: which visa to file, how to structure companies, how to report income, how to “escape” tax systems, and so on.

In many jurisdictions, offering that kind of advice without a license can constitute the unauthorized practice of law or unlicensed tax advice. Rules differ by country and state — but the risk is real for both the seller and the client who relies on them. thevisa.app does not want to amplify or distribute that model.

How the typical influencer / package model often works

When someone sells a “residency package” or “CBI package” on social media, the commercial pattern frequently looks like this:

  • Commission structure. Most of these intermediaries take a minimum of around 10%, and very often 30–50% or higher, of the total amount the client pays in the intermediary / professional fee chain. Exact percentages vary by deal — the pattern is that the cut is frequently large.
  • Extreme markups. In some cases the client’s total can reach roughly four or five times the real cost of the underlying legal service. Clients end up paying dramatically more while receiving the exact same work from the same lawyer they could have hired directly — with the extra margin funding marketing, travel content, and lifestyle rather than better legal quality.
  • Response times and service quality. Because many influencers travel constantly or keep a lifestyle-focused schedule, communication can be slow or inconsistent. Dealing directly with a licensed law firm often results in faster, more professional responses from people whose job is client work — not content production.
  • Weak real connection to the country. A significant number of people selling residency or citizenship packages have little or no real legal status in the countries they promote, and in some cases have never even lived there. Marketing confidence is not the same as local license, local practice, or accountability to a bar or regulator.

Paying more to an unlicensed middleman does not, by itself, buy better government processing times or better legal outcomes.

Why thevisa.app exists

thevisa.app was created in part as a response to this industry pattern. We believe clients should be able to access licensed lawyers directly, with full price transparency, instead of paying large undisclosed markups to unlicensed intermediaries.

Think of us as a specialized directory — like an Angie’s List for immigration lawyers: tools to find and evaluate licensed professionals, not a placement agency that takes a cut of your case.

Another practical reason the site exists: in many countries — especially across Latin America — it is still uncommon for immigration lawyers to maintain professional websites. That makes it very hard for international clients who do not speak the local language to find qualified help. We built a transparent, English-friendly directory so people can actually discover these lawyers.

How we make money (and what we never take)

thevisa.app takes no cut of any client’s legal fees or CBI/residency payments. We never receive any portion of the wire transfer or professional fees paid to the lawyer. We do not mark up government fees, donations, or investments.

We make money in only two ways:

  1. Flat monthly subscription fees paid by lawyers and firms who choose to advertise on the platform. They can select from three different subscription tiers (see For Lawyers).
  2. Optional white-glove service for ultra-high-net-worth clients who want founder coordination — a flat $10,000 intermediary fee, never a percentage of capital or legal bills.

Using the platform vs. contacting lawyers directly

  • Clients are completely free to contact any lawyer or firm directly and never mention thevisa.app.
  • We would prefer that you use the platform — matching, fee transparency, and ratings help everyone.
  • As a benefit for going through us: when you mention thevisa.app (after creating a free account), you receive a free 30-minute initial consultation from the lawyer or firm — the standard member benefit.

Ratings help others too, but they are never required.

Why we don’t partner with non-lawyer influencers

Because of legal and regulatory risk — and because users deserve a clear chain of professional responsibility — thevisa.app does not partner with non-lawyer influencers or digital-nomad package sellers to place CBI or residency clients.

Our platform works only with licensed lawyers and law firms who advertise here. You deal with them directly.

What we recommend instead

Always seek advice from properly licensed lawyers for immigration and residency matters, and from qualified CPAs or tax attorneys for tax planning and reporting, in every relevant jurisdiction.

Make sure any structure or move you pursue complies with all applicable laws and reporting requirements — including, where relevant, tax residency, foreign asset reporting, and dual-citizenship rules. Social media is not a substitute for that work. thevisa.app itself does not give legal or tax advice.

Disclaimer: thevisa.app is not a law firm and does not provide legal or tax advice. This page is for general informational purposes only. Always verify with official government sources and appropriately licensed professionals before making decisions.

Commission and markup ranges described above are educational summaries of common industry patterns reported by clients and practitioners — not a claim about every intermediary, and not a guarantee of any particular pricing.

Guides & intel

Practical, readable country notes — not legal advice. Last data update: July 2026. Click any card to read the full guide.

Last data update: July 2026 · Not legal or immigration advice

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About thevisa.app

thevisa.app is a free-to-consumer platform that connects people directly with verified immigration lawyers. Think of us as a specialized directory — like an Angie’s List for immigration counsel — with matching tools, fee transparency, and country intel. No middleman taking a cut of legal fees or CBI/residency capital.

We obsess over radical transparency: government fees first, then legal fees, full timelines, tax implications, and labeled data sources (ILGA, GPI, Numbeo, WHO, EF EPI, OECD, WEF, UNDP, Tax Foundation, and official government summaries).

How we make money

  • Lawyer subscriptions only — flat monthly tiers paid by firms that advertise (three tiers on For Lawyers).
  • Optional Lux white-glove — flat $10,000 founder coordination for clients who want it.
  • Never a cut of client legal fees, wires, CBI investments, or government payments.

Free 30-minute consultation with any lawyer or firm on the site after you create an account. For how direct contact vs. the platform works, see .

Part of why we exist: in many markets — especially Latin America — immigration lawyers often lack professional websites, so international clients struggle to find qualified help in English. We built a transparent directory to close that gap. We also do not partner with unlicensed residency influencers or package sellers; see .

We are not a law firm and do not provide legal, tax, or immigration advice. Always verify with official government sources or a licensed immigration attorney before making decisions.

Domain: thevisa.app · Legal: ·