Citizenship by investment is granted by governments, not by advisers. Our work is to make sure that what reaches a government is complete, consistent and truthful — and to say so, early, when a case should not proceed.
How we protect an application
Every programme we advise on is administered by a government unit that carries out its own investigation of each applicant and decides each case independently. Sparco Investment prepares, manages and coordinates the application on the client’s side of that process. We do not perform the government’s due diligence, we do not influence its outcome, and we do not promise one. What we can control is the quality of what is submitted, and that is where our attention goes.
This page sets out, in plain terms, what we do before and during an application, and what remains the responsibility of the Citizenship by Investment Unit concerned.
Responsible case selection
We do not accept every prospective client. Before an engagement begins, we carry out an initial assessment of the person and the documentation available to us. In practice we look at whether the client’s background and security record appear clear; whether the source of funds can be clearly established and evidenced; whether there are previous visa refusals that will need to be disclosed and considered; whether the applicant appears to satisfy the requirements of the programme under discussion; whether there are sanctions-related or politically-exposed-person considerations that would need to be addressed; and whether there are issues or inconsistencies that could materially affect the application.
This assessment is ours, not the government’s. It does not replace the Unit’s own investigation and it does not predict its decision. Its purpose is narrower: to decide whether we can responsibly take the case forward, and to give the client an honest view before any commitment is made.
Where circumstances are unclear, where documentation or the source of funds cannot be satisfactorily established, or where the applicant does not meet the requirements we consider necessary to proceed responsibly, we decline the case. This happens regularly, and we regard it as part of the service rather than an exception to it.
Source of funds and documentation
Every programme requires the applicant to show, with documents, where the funds for the investment and fees come from and how the applicant’s wealth was built. This is a critical part of the application, so we give it careful attention before the file is prepared.
The documentation falls into a few broad categories: identity and civil-status documents for each applicant, financial and source-of-funds documentation, and the other supporting documents required for the relevant application. The exact requirements differ between programmes and between applicants; we set out what your application will need at the start of the engagement rather than in stages.
Our role is to review this material for completeness and consistency, to identify gaps or questions a Unit is likely to raise, and to help you assemble a file that answers them. We do not create explanations for funds that cannot be documented, and we do not advise omitting anything that the programme requires to be disclosed.
A complete and transparent application
Once the engagement is agreed, we prepare the application itself: the programme forms, the supporting documents in the order and format each Unit expects, and the certified translations and legalisation or authentication that the programme requires. We check that dates, names, addresses and figures agree across every document, because inconsistencies — even innocent ones — can lead to questions or delays.
Our aim is an application that is complete the first time, that discloses what must be disclosed, and that can be clearly and consistently explained if questions arise during the official process.
The government’s own due diligence
Once the application file has been completed and reviewed, it is submitted to the relevant Citizenship by Investment Unit in accordance with the official procedures of the programme.
From that point the process belongs to the government. The relevant Unit conducts its own due diligence and security checks in accordance with its official procedures. An interview or other programme-specific requirements may form part of the official process. The specific requirements of each programme are described on its own page.
The Unit’s decision is final and independent. We keep you informed of each stage, respond to any request for further information, and prepare you for any interview or other requirement the Unit sets, but we cannot accelerate the government’s investigation, and no adviser can guarantee its result.
Payments and how the process is managed
Our fee and the schedule of payments are agreed in writing before any work begins. Clients make the agreed payments to Sparco Investment, and we handle the applicable government and programme payments on the client’s behalf at the relevant stages of the application.
We provide a clear written breakdown of the applicable programme costs and fees before you proceed, including any known third-party or programme-specific costs.
When something gives us pause
If, at any stage, we identify a matter that could affect the application — a gap in the documentary record, a discrepancy between documents, an undisclosed refusal, a change in the client’s circumstances — we raise it with the client directly and before the file moves forward. Some such matters can be resolved with further documentation. Others cannot, and in those cases we will say so plainly, even if it means the application does not proceed.
We would rather lose an engagement than submit a file we do not believe in.
Confidentiality and your information
An application of this kind requires you to share sensitive personal and financial information with us. We use and share this information only as necessary to assess, prepare, manage and support the application, and in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable requirements. We hold it for a defined period after the engagement ends, as set out in our Privacy Policy, so that we can assist you with related matters later. Our full Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, and your rights over it.
The application journey
The sequence below is how an engagement with us actually runs. Steps one to six are ours to prepare and manage; steps seven and eight belong entirely to the government; the final steps follow the Unit’s decision.
- ConsultationYour objectives, family, nationality, timing and budget — and a first view of which programmes fit, and which do not.
- Initial document and eligibility reviewOur assessment of your background, source of funds and the programme’s requirements, before any commitment.
- Client agreementScope, fees and the payment schedule, in writing.
- First payment
- Application preparationProgramme forms, supporting documents, certified translations, legalisation or authentication.
- Submission of the completed application to the relevant Citizenship by Investment UnitIn accordance with the official procedures of the programme.
- Government due diligence and security investigationConducted by the Unit in accordance with its official procedures; an interview or other programme-specific requirements may apply.
- Final government decisionIndependent and final.
- Final payment following approvalWhere applicable under the relevant programme and process.
- Citizenship certificate procedures
- Passport issuance procedures
Sparco Investment LLC
Sparco Investment LLC is a licensed and registered company in the United Arab Emirates, based at Al Meraikhi Tower on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Our team remains involved throughout the process — from the initial assessment and preparation of the application through government processing and the final citizenship and passport procedures. Meetings with government leaders and programme officials are recorded on our Government Relations & Events page as a matter of engagement, not endorsement.
Bring your questions to the first consultation.
We will tell you what a programme requires, what your file would need to show, and whether we think you should proceed — before any fee is paid.