Henley & Partners are widely recognized as the world's leading specialists in international residence and citizenship planning.
For more than a decade, the firm's renowned International Residence and Citizenship Practice Group has been advising private clients, their close advisors such as lawyers and private bankers, as well as governments, on citizenship law, immigration law, and visa policy issues.
Besides advising on the possibilities of acquiring resident status and citizenship by investment, members of the Group advise on the (re-)acquisition of citizenship based on ancestry as well as on residence planning for private clients with a view to tax optimization and/or post-immigration citizenship acquisition.
Residence-by-Investment and Citizenship-by-Investment
The Group has extensive expertise and experience in Residence-by-Investment and Citizenship-by-Investment programs. It is in direct contact with the government authorities of the relevant countries and constantly monitors the worldwide situation. It is also constantly aware of the frequent illegal offers available in many countries and gives advice to private clients and lawyers, as well as government agencies, and often assists in avoiding immigration, citizenship and passport fraud.
Citizenship based on Ancestry
The Group's expertise regarding citizenship based on ancestry extends to numerous countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and several other European countries.
Post-immigration Acquisition of Citizenship
With regard to post-immigration acquisition of citizenship, the Group is active in practically all countries that are of interest, including the most relevant ones such as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.
Residence and Tax Planning
Private client residence planning and related tax planning, the third important aspect of the Group's work, entails finding solutions for clients who move on an international scale, own property in different countries and have complex international situations and needs. In this regard, the Group works closely together with the firm's International Tax Planning Group, and their combined services cover not only tax, immigration and citizenship law, but also international private law, real-estate structuring, and many more aspects relevant to private clients.
Today, a person of talent and means need not limit his or her life and business to only one country. Making an active decision with regard to your residence and citizenship gives you more personal freedom, privacy and security. Henley & Partners' International Residence and Citizenship Practice Group has the expertise and experience necessary to advise and assist clients with regard to this decision.
Key Members of the Residence and Citizenship Practice Group
The International Residence and Citizenship Practice Group of Henley & Partners is made up of several specialists who are located at the firm's various offices, among others the following professionals. Most of them are available for individual consultations.
The Practice Group is led by Andrew Walmsley, who is a Senior Consultant at Henley & Partners focusing solely on citizenship and complex immigration work. Before joining Henley & Partners, he was Head of Nationality at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the United Kingdom's Home Office. As one of the leading authorities on citizenship matters in Europe, he also advises the Council of Europe and several European governments on citizenship issues and serves as an expert on various international committees.
Christian H. Kälin, a Partner at the firm in Zurich, Switzerland, is an international tax planning, residence and citizenship specialist. He is a frequent writer and speaker on these issues and is regularly quoted in the international media. He is the editor and one of the co-authors of the Switzerland Business & Investment Handbook and the International Real Estate Handbook as well as one of the co-editors of Anti-Money-Laundering: International Law and Practice.
Jonathan K. Chalmers is an Associate with Henley & Partners based in the UK. After graduating from the University of Liverpool he joined the UK Immigration and Nationality Directorate where he was responsible for immigration policy on work permits and business investors. He then worked with several well-known private client firms, where he gained experience in immigration law and residence planning, and also citizenship issues. He has authored many articles on citizenship-by-investment and is active in both private client and government consulting work in that area.
Leon van der Heiden, a Partner and Head of the firm’s Belgian office in Antwerp, has wide-ranging experience in corporate and financial affairs and in particular real estate. As a member of the firm’s Residence and Citizenship Practice Group he advises on relocation to and residence in Belgium for Non-EU nationals and handles all aspects of clients interested in moving to Belgium.
Wendell E. Lawrence, a Partner at Henley & Partners’ main Caribbean office in St. Kitts, deals specifically with the citizenship-by-investment programs in St. Kitts & Nevis and in the Commonwealth of Dominica. He is an experienced and regionally respected consultant who has held senior positions in the Government of St. Kitts & Nevis for many years before joining Henley & Partners. He continues to be a member of the board of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
Dr. Nenad Saljic, an international real estate, residence and citizenship specialist, is a Partner and Head of Henley & Partners’ Croatian office. He is the author of the most important book on international tax planning in Croatia and specifically handles citizenship matters under the ancestry provisions in Croatia and other countries in the region.
