First, is the programme created by primary legislation, or by ministerial discretion? Legislated programmes survive changes of government. Discretionary ones frequently do not.
Second, is there a published list of authorised agents, and is your adviser on it? Third, does the state conduct independent due diligence through named international providers, or does it accept the agent's word?
Fourth, are funds paid to a government account or to a private intermediary? Fifth, has the programme published approval statistics? Sixth, and most telling, do major states grant visa-free access to the resulting passport, and has that access been stable for more than five years?
A programme that answers all six well is worth considering regardless of price. One that fails two or more is worth avoiding regardless of discount.
Eleanor Kent
Hampton & Kent
