Uglobal Immigration Magazine Volume 1, Issue 1 | Page 66

65 MALTA VISA PROGRAM | 马耳他签证项目 a lack of E.U. citizenship can be a serious obstacle to building a career, even after having pursued studies in Europe. As time has shown, many of the children of wealthy investors, freshly graduated from a European university, tend to stick to their usual circle of contacts and therefore do not immediately return home to further their careers. Indeed, they have countless opportunities to work in leading European companies, apart from the fact that quite often they take on responsibility for the European-based faction of their parents’ business. If they possess a European passport, they, therefore, do not need a work permit and can freely change their place of work any time. QUALITY MEDICINE FOR FREE Free healthcare is a centuries-old tradition in Malta. First laid down by the Knights of St. John, which went on to pave the way for the ideal of quality treatment for all inhabitants, medical care for Maltese citizens is still completely free. It is the state, from the taxes it has received, that generously sponsors this industry. More importantly, thanks to Malta’s role as an E.U. member state, citizens are holders of the free European Health Insurance Card. This allows them to use medical services under the same conditions as residents in any E.U. country, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The exception, however, relates to treatment or medical services provided by private clinics. PROFITABLE REAL ESTATE For Maltese real estate, 2017 was a great year. Indeed, the real estate market, according to the Knight Frank Global House Index Q2/2017, was ranked first in the E.U. and third worldwide, especially in terms of growth, which was recorded at an impressive rate of 14.6 percent. Undeniably, factors such as MIIP applicants, the introduction of certain tax benefits and Maltese substantiation of the gaming industry (whose employees simultaneously earn high salaries and create a demand for real estate) were all contributors to this boost. Over the past decade, the growth rate in property prices has fluctuated at an average annual increase of about 10 percent. Coupled with the possibility of selling real estate acquired through the MIIP after five years, such a dynamic allows the new Maltese passport holder to return the initially invested 350,000 euros and expect to earn extra capital gains, estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 euros. The five-year-purchase of real estate, therefore, is the best solution for getting back a substantial part of the MIIP investment.