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Bartra Wealth Advisors have a limited number of final Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) approved investment slots available, with a restricted quota and timeframe. These slots are open to clients who have an immediate intention to apply for the IIP. Contact us now to secure your opportunity.

Bartra Wealth Advisors responds to the closure of the Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)

On Tuesday 14 February, the Irish government announced the closure of the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), which was first introduced in 2012. The Programme has approved investment totaling more than €1 billion, which has benefitted Ireland and many enterprises, both economic and social, including community and sporting organisations.

The Minister of Justice said the decision to close the scheme had taken into account studies by international bodies such as the European Commission, which last year called on EU governments to end national programmes to sell citizenship to investors, which it has long considered a security risk.

Bartra Wealth Advisors, the immigration arm of Ireland’s most successful real estate developer Bartra Group which specialises in providing independent Irish immigration investment advisory services on investment in Ireland’s much-needed, purpose-built social housing and nursing home IIP projects, reported receiving over 100 phone calls following the announcement from clients in China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea and the USA, asking about their applications and the impact of the IIP’s closure.

“The closure of the Programme will not affect existing projects that have been approved by the Government. For these, we can continue to source the investors required to complete funding and we will continue to be monitored by the Department of Justice in relation to the delivery of the projects and for compliance purposes,” said Daniel Hinds, COO of Bartra Wealth Advisors. “Investors who have already been approved by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) will not be affected by the closure of the Programme, and all future visa renewals will be granted as long as the requirements are fulfilled.”

James Hartshorn, CEO and Co-Founder of the company said: “Since last year, we have been advising our clients who were considering the IIP but had not yet made up their minds to take action and be proactive as policy changes could happen at any time. Ireland in particular offers a great quality of life and a strong economy, as well as world-class healthcare and educational systems making it an easy place for foreigners to immigrate to.”

“Since we established our business in China in 2016, we have been aggressively expanding our global footprint and offering IIP opportunities to more families looking for better education for their children as well as greater access to the EU and UK. As well as China, we have received approvals of applications for American, Vietnamese, Indian and Korean clients.

“Bartra’s IIP business is a win-win business. It brings capital from all over the world to fund much-needed local infrastructure, which was and remains undersupplied, and to support government initiatives such as the Housing for All policy. For Bartra, building new homes is a key part of our business. As well as providing much-needed housing, our construction programme helps to create jobs and training opportunities, regenerate neighbourhoods and support communities across Ireland. We plan to deliver at least 3,000 new homes between now and 2030, with our primary focus on the continued delivery of sustainable social housing.

“Bartra is also developing portfolios of nursing homes and care units to support this in-demand sector in Ireland. To ensure the success of the developments, we are one of few groups that integrate development, operation and management into our IIP projects.

“For our investors, their investment with us is very safe. Last year alone, we made repayments of nearly €100 million to about 100 IIP investors who had invested in our social housing and nursing home projects. Many of their repayments have also been reinvested in other development projects in Ireland and a large number of our clients are now living or plan to live in Ireland with their children who are or will be studying in Irish schools. We believe a diversified community with talent from around the world will only further strengthen Ireland’s future economic and social growth.”

Bartra Wealth Advisors also has been supporting Irish nationwide charities, sporting clubs and hospitals with significant investments into these sectors under the IIP Endowment option.

Organisations with IIP-approved projects are welcome to contact Bartra Wealth Advisors to leverage its global client base for raising funds.

Visit our website for interviews with some of our investors about their IIP investment journeys and their lives in Ireland.

Bartra Insights

Celebrating Our 2022 Achievements

It has been another challenging year as worldwide uncertainty continued with rising global turbulence and changing norms. However, Bartra Wealth Advisors believes there are always new opportunities. Our advice is to ensure you ‘have choices in life’, which means creating opportunities and alternatives – whether that’s choosing a better place to live, a more suitable job, a higher quality of life or a better education system for families and children as well as a stronger economy to grow and diversify wealth.

As the year winds down, we are delighted to announce that, at Bartra, we achieved many milestones in 2022, which we would like to share with you.

We had a successful project completion this year despite the high cost of construction. Poole House, a six-storey social housing project in Poplar Row was completed within budget in Q2, offering 39 apartments in a convenient city centre location in Dublin 3. So far, we have completed three social housing projects and three nursing homes, and we have three more social housing projects and one nursing home currently under construction. In addition, Bartra has several IIP projects that are either at the application or planning stage.

We successfully sold our nursing home and social housing portfolios to institutional investors. In August, Bartra Healthcare sold a portfolio of nursing homes to Belgian REIT Aedifica NV/SA at a price of €161 million. The portfolio consists of two brand new nursing homes located in Loughshinny (Skerries) and Northwood (Santry), an HSE transitional care unit in Beaumont (Artane), and the forward purchase of Clondalkin Lodge nursing home, which is currently under development.

Clonross, Old Navan Road social housing project will complete in March 2023. A forward purchase has been secured with the acquisition of the development without furniture, white goods, or floor finishes.

We had IIP applications from more than 160 families this year – the highest-ever number. This figure represents over 20% of all worldwide IIP applications and is equivalent to over 60% of the global applications in 2021. Apart from winning clients’ trust as the number one go-to company for Irish immigration and the preferable IIP partner, particularly for the Enterprise Investment option, this also demonstrates the ability of our team to secure a large volume of IIP-qualifying projects and slots for our IIP investors.

Bartra client Luna and her daughter Ellie received their repayment from investing in Loughshinny nursing home.

Bartra client Bruce visiting his social housing investment project at Poplar Row with Bartra’s Richie Lenehan.

We made almost 100 repayments to investors this year, which is even more than our September announcement of 93 investor repayments, with a repayment value of close to €100 million. This is the largest repayment value in IIP history delivered by a single Irish developer. We are delighted that we are able to provide the best IIP projects and services for our clients to ensure a straightforward and enjoyable journey to investing and living in Ireland.

This year, we invited our clients who received their repayments to visit the project they invested in. Among them, we have been thrilled to see some clients reinvesting into our other non-IIP portfolio which includes Bartra’s co-living projects, to an investment value of €16 million, showing their confidence in Bartra’s businesses.

The key benefit of the IIP for many investors is the prospect of residency rights in Ireland within a short timeframe. Bartra continues to maintain a 100% approval rate with 35 approvals this year and an average eight-month approval time. We are due to receive more approvals in early 2023 and we are confident that our strong track record will remain with more clients around the world set to obtain their PR approvals, including from Vietnam and the US. In addition, we have maintained our 100% renewal rate performance, having helped 78 clients successfully renew their 1st and 2nd residence permissions.

At Bartra, we always strive to develop engaging educational content to introduce Ireland and Bartra. Following last year’s publication of our first Ireland Guidebook, this year, we filmed two series of videos in Ireland for the first time – Life In Ireland and Unlocking Ireland – where our staff members Yating Tao and Richard Lenehan took people on a virtual tour to discover Ireland visiting places including local schools, the most liveable neighbourhoods and popular districts as well as Bartra project sites. We also filmed four new episodes of our Immigration Insights video series in which we work with reputable partners to discuss the topics that our clients care about most.

Left: The Sidings commercial development. Right: Glensavage residential development in Blackrock Dublin

As part of Bartra Group, we are pleased to see the achievements of the group’s other business sectors, including:

  • Commercial – the construction of The Sidings by Bartra, a new €140m 10-storey, Grade A landmark office building in the heart of Silicon Docks in Dublin, is making good progress and is due to be completed in Q3 next year for occupation in H2 2023.
  • Henley Bartra, the joint venture between UK investor firm Henley Investment Management and Bartra Group, has secured two new lettings and a lease extension in the Riverwalk Office Park at the Citywest Business Campus in Dublin. Citywest Business Campus is a portfolio comprising 11 buildings, development sites and car parks which was acquired by Henley Bartra in 2019.
  • Residential – Glensavage in Blackrock Dublin by Bartra New Homes and designed by award-winning architects De Blacam and Meagher, offering 14 apartments, five detached houses and three gate lodges is nearly sold out with just one remaining 797sqft one-bed apartment.

This year has been an amazing one for Bartra and we would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients and friends, peers and partners, for all of your dedication, support and hard work.

Looking ahead, we see many families from all over the world choosing Ireland as a place to reside. Last year, in 2021, while the world was in lockdown, Ireland’s population rose above 5 million for the first time since 1851 and this year had a record number of IIP applications. We are confident that our business will remain strong next year and we look forward to another successful year full of opportunities in 2023.

Until then, on behalf of everyone here at Bartra, we wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Irish Developer Bartra To Repay Over €90 Million To Immigration-By-Investment Clients – Projects Delivered on Time and on Budget and Sold to Institutional Investors

(Hong Kong, 30 September 2022) – Bartra, one of Ireland’s leading real estate developers, has announced the repayment in 2022 of €93 million to investors who invested in social housing and nursing home projects with Bartra via Ireland’s immigration investment programme. The repayment is being made following the successful completion and sale of a number of social housing and nursing home projects to institutional investors in line with the business plans for these projects.

The construction of Bartra’s social housing and nursing home schemes is funded by investors participating in the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP). The IIP was introduced by the Irish government in 2012 and uses the immigration system to incentivise foreign investment into critically needed infrastructure such as social housing and nursing homes. The programme is managed by the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) Unit, a dedicated department within the Irish Department of Justice.

The key benefit of the IIP for many investors is the prospect of residency rights in Ireland within a short timeframe. It typically takes six months for approval and Ireland does not require investors to spend any more than one day per year in the country to maintain their residency. Due to Ireland’s strong and robust economy, high-quality education system, and excellent accessibility to its EU and UK neighbours, the IIP is currently growing at a fast pace, particularly in Asia. According to the Irish Ministry of Justice, from 2016 to 2021, there were 2,226 IIP applications with most investments made into the Enterprise option (61%).

Bartra provides social housing and nursing home IIP investment opportunities under the Enterprise investment route for high-net-worth families who are interested in emigrating to Ireland.

“Both of these asset classes are priority investment areas for the Irish State and Bartra has a strong track record of delivering projects in line with business plan and repaying investors. The total successful repayment amount of over €90 million to be made this year will mark one of the largest IIP repayments in history from a single Irish developer.” Daniel Hinds, Bartra Wealth Advisors Chief Operating Officer commented.

Daniel Hinds

Hinds added: “Bartra Wealth Advisors was established to provide one-stop-shop Irish immigration services. With our unique business model and the backing of our parent company, we are able to support clients throughout the investment and immigration process, from immigration consulting and applying for qualified IIP programmes to landing services and ensuring investments are repaid. To date, Bartra has maintained a 100% application approval rate, 100% renewal rate and 100% repayment rate.”

Bartra intends to continue to raise funds from the IIP to develop bundles of social housing and nursing home projects on sites it owns, providing full visibility to IIP investors on the nature of the projects that they are investing in.

Batra launched its social housing business to focus on the provision of much-needed family homes and has completed three projects to date, with three more under construction. The company has established a dedicated social housing team, which is tasked with identifying development sites suitable for social housing where Bartra can deliver attractive investment opportunities to investors. Andrew Ennis, Director of Investments and Structuring at Bartra, says, “Our plan is to deliver at least 3,000 new homes between now and 2030, with our primary focus on the continued delivery of sustainable social housing. We want to build more homes for social and affordable tenants and believe social housing – the right homes, in the right places – could play a bigger role in reducing the impact of the housing supply crisis.”

Social Housing Bartra

Bartra invited an IIP client who received his investment principal to visit a social housing project in Poplar Row, Dublin.

In the healthcare sector, Bartra builds, manages and operates projects from start to finish, providing premium clinical care services for residents. Led by Declan Carlyle, Bartra’s Healthcare division delivers a nursing home portfolio with superior elderly care facilities designed to meet the Irish government’s highest standards as imposed by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA). Bartra intends to build more much-needed healthcare homes in Ireland, in proximity to major hospitals and transport hubs, to service an ever growing elderly population cohort.

And as nursing homes qualify as essential infrastructure, institutional investors with long-term investment horizons are contributing to elderly care projects as part of their investment portfolios. Selling the healthcare developments to institutional investors is also part of Bartra’s development exit strategy to repay their IIP investors. Last month, Bartra sold a portfolio of nursing homes to Belgian Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Aedifica for approximately €161 million. The portfolio, which has capacity for 617 residents, consists of two brand new nursing homes located in Loughshinny (Skerries) and Northwood (Santry), an HSE transitional care unit in Beaumont (Artane), and the forward purchase of Clondalkin Lodge nursing home, which is currently in development.

Belgian REIT Aedifica Acquires Four Bartra Healthcare Properties

On 19 August 2022, Bartra Healthcare announced that it has sold a portfolio of nursing homes to Belgian Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Aedifica for approximately €161 million. The portfolio, which has capacity for 617 residents, consists of two brand new nursing homes located in Loughshinny (Skerries) and Northwood (Santry), HSE transitional care unit in Beaumont (Artane), and the forward purchase of Clondalkin Lodge nursing home, which is currently under development.

Declan Carlyle, CEO of Bartra Healthcare. Photo was taken outside of the Loughshinny nursing home.

Declan Carlyle, CEO of Bartra Healthcare, said: “This is a very exciting and positive step for Bartra Healthcare and our team. The transaction further strengthens our position in the Irish nursing home sector, and we are looking forward to developing our services and expanding our portfolio of homes.

“Aedifica represents a great partner and fit for us regarding our ethos and values, and it is important to note that neither residents nor employees will be impacted by the change in ownership. Bartra Healthcare will also operate Aedifica’s care home that is currently under development in Crumlin.”

All of the acquired healthcare properties will continue to be operated under long-term leases by Bartra Healthcare with no impact on residents and all employee terms and conditions will be maintained.

What does the acquisition mean for IIP investors?

Bartra’s business plan for its IIP funded Nursing Homes was based on:

1. Identifying sites for a portfolio of new, high-quality nursing homes/ transition care facilities;
2. Delivering these facilities on time and on budget;
3. Staffing and operating these facilities in accordance with strict regulatory standards;
4. Once the facilities were operational, selling the portfolio to an institutional investor; and
5. Using the proceeds of sale to repay IIP investors.

Bartra has delivered on all aspects of the business plan provided to IIP investors for these homes (Clondalkin is still in construction) and will commence repaying investors in September 2022.  Bartra will now move on to the next batch of Nursing Homes it intends to develop under the IIP programme, having clearly demonstrated its ability to deliver on business plans set out to investors.

Bartra Wealth Advisors named the preferred choice for Irish immigration by investment for second year running

Bartra Wealth Advisors is the only leading real estate developer in Ireland that provides professional immigration consulting services in Hong Kong and offers qualified real estate investment projects under the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP). It also applies an end-to-end process to its business, from site development to operation and management, all of which lend Bartra a unique business proposition with strengths in many aspects in the industry.

As a result of its good reputation and the high-quality of services offered, Bartra Wealth Advisors received the ‘Outstanding Irish Immigration Advisory Service and Investment Immigration Project’ award from the Quamnet Outstanding Enterprise Awards 2021, an award which it also received in 2020.

Immigration by investment to Ireland is an attractive proposition with a simple application process

Ireland-Job-Market_Finance-District-at-Dublin

As of April last year, the total population of Ireland exceeded 5 million for the first time since 1851, according to figures released by the Irish Central Statistics Office in August 2021. This was due to a combination of natural increase and positive net migration which resulted in population growth of 0.7 per cent in the year to April 2021. During the period, more than 65,000 people chose to immigrate to Ireland, and many Irish chose to return home.

Ireland has become a hot spot for immigration, thanks to its welcoming immigration policies and overall favourable living conditions. An English-speaking country, Ireland is one of the few countries where permanent residency (PR) can be obtained in a short period of time and through a simple application process. Applicants can obtain a PR equivalent visa through the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme and land once a year to meet the renewal requirements. Holders of a visa for five years or more can be exempted from the landing requirements, so it is easy to achieve “immigration without moving” and applicants do not have to give up their work, business or networks. As long as one applicant applies, the whole family, including spouses or partners and children, can benefit from obtaining permanent residence status in one step on application. Additionally, Ireland has much to offer – it has high quality education and a reputation as both the Silicon Valley of Europe and a new financial center for its myriad job opportunities. Ireland’s passport ranked fifth in the world in 2021, providing holders with broad accessibility to other countries. In addition to being able to enter the European Union, Irish citizens can also work and live in the UK under the CTA agreement without a permit. Ireland has become a preferred country for investment immigration for applicants with higher incomes.

Bartra Wealth Advisors offers one-stop-shop services

Bartra Wealth Advisors (Bartra), a subsidiary of Bartra Group, one of Ireland’s most successful property developers, specialises in providing independent Irish investment immigration advisory services for affluent families. The company has professional investment consultants and landing teams. With a large number of IIP qualified public housing and nursing home projects, a mature business model, rich Irish immigration experience, and strong business network support, Bartra has helped hundreds of families successfully immigrate to Ireland. When it comes to the IIP, Bartra is the only group that sources, builds and manages real estate projects from start to finish in Ireland.

Backed by the rich resources of its parent company and with its in-group overseas immigration arm, Bartra provides clients with one-stop-shop immigration services. Its unique business model supports clients throughout the investment and immigration process, from immigration consulting and applying for qualified IIP programmes to landing services and exiting of investments. To date, Bartra has maintained a 100% application approval rate, 100% renewal rate and 100% repayment rate.

Bartra has identified a recent surge in the immigration intentions of Hong Kong families. As a major provider of Irish investment immigration projects in Asia, Bartra raised nearly €54 million in investment in 2021, leading the Irish investment immigration market in the field of public housing and nursing home Enterprise investment. Those investing in Ireland through Bartra have successfully obtained permanent residency status, with most being approved within six to nine months in 2021, while the shortest time for approval took less than three months. During the pandemic, investors were exempt from the one-day-a-year landing requirement. By the end of 2021, Bartra had successfully processed about 400 applications for the Irish IIP, with Hong Kong families accounting for about 70 applications, reflecting the appeal of Irish immigration to Hong Kong people. Since the end of 2021, a number of investors have successfully received full repayment and interest from their IIP investments. Some intend to continue to invest in Bartra’s real estate projects, while others plan to use the funds for their children’s school fees or to reinvest in local property.

IIP projects are supported by local government with considerable return

Bartra has an excellent reputation with regard to the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme. Its projects support the country’s social infrastructure and are given priority by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and backed by the government’s revenue stream. They are therefore considered reliable investment projects.

Bartra’s Public Housing project, for example, has signed a 25-year lease agreement with the local government. The rent is agreed at 95% of the market rate and is index-linked. In addition, projects are debt-funded by different companies. Investing in the public housing project is low risk and 100% capital guaranteed.

Bartra’s Irish Nursing Home project is part of a nation-wide strategic plan named Rebuilding Ireland. It is not only safe and qualifies for immigration by investment, but caters to the nation’s high demand for nursing homes while the source of income is state-supported – beds are funded by HSE under the Nursing Home Support Scheme. Bartra has announced that it will spend €160 million (about HK$1.3 billion) to build five nursing homes as part of an active expansion of the company’s healthcare business to provide more nursing home beds to meet local demand. Through the IIP, Bartra raises funds from investors, the majority of which are in Asia, while providing them with Irish permanent residency.

Bartra is also the only group in the IIP that develops projects from start to finish. From sourcing to operation and management, it is all handled by Bartra Healthcare, a dedicated professional healthcare division of Bartra Group. Bartra pays great attention to the quality of projects to ensure the highest standards set out by HIQA are met.

When investing in Bartra’s IIP Nursing Home projects, clients are able to receive full principal repayment and 4% annual interest. The scheme is popular with Hong Kong clients, with some investors saying they can take advantage of the 20% interest earned at the end of the 5-year investment period, amounting to around HK$2 million, to pay for their children’s education or to buy property in Ireland.

Caring for employees and customers is key

In addition to catering for the needs of its customers, the safety of employees is a priority for Bartra. During the pandemic, the company fully supported its employees while keeping operations going. The company regularly distributed masks to local and overseas staff and introduced flexible working arrangements.

For customers, in addition to sending monthly company newsletters, quarterly project construction reports and company news by email, Bartra’s marketing team put resources into the company’s online platforms, providing more online resources including articles, videos and social media content, while also organising a number of online events and webinars covering various topics including the benefits of Irish immigration, tax and insurance planning, advice for overseas studies, Irish property market overviews, job market updates, and information on immigration options and their risks.

With regard to its projects, each one boasts on-site, real-time video cameras so clients can see the construction progress of their investment properties via their mobile devices. In response to the need for sustainable development, Bartra’s projects incorporate elements of green building, including the provision of green space and the installation of rooftop solar panels. In addition to nursing homes and public housing projects, the Group is committed to developing co-living projects funded by the government, creating youth communities and providing more and different types of local housing. The group also develops renewable energy projects to improve wind power generation in response to environmental protection and sustainable development goals in line with the company’s vision of creating a better future for everyone.

Overall, Bartra’s IIP projects have been well received by Asian investors. In addition to its headquarters in Hong Kong, Bartra operates in key cities in mainland China, including Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, as well as Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. In 2022, it plans to move into the Hanoi market and explore opportunities in India and the United Arab Emirates.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents have an intention to emigrate, Ireland ranks in top three most popular Hong Kong emigration destinations

Nearly 80 percent of respondents are considering or will consider moving aboard, a survey from the immigration arm of Irish developer Bartra Group has found. The current wave of emigration began in 2019 and remains strong. Bartra Wealth Advisors (“Bartra”), a subsidiary of Ireland’s leading real estate developer Bartra Group and the first Irish developer providing direct Irish immigration investment advisory in Hong Kong, conducted an online survey in March to find out more about Hong Kong people’s migration intentions and emigration trends. The company surveyed nearly 500 Hong Kong citizens aged 18 and above.

According to the findings of the survey, the top three locations that Hong Kong people would like to emigrate to were Taiwan, the UK and Australia. With Hong Kong people’s increasing exposure to Ireland, the nation ranked second as an emigration destination among European countries, ahead of Germany, Bulgaria and Portugal. When choosing an emigration destination, more than 60% of respondents considered prioritising factors such as cost of emigration and ease of obtaining application approval.

The survey also revealed that the objectives of the Hong Kong people who intend to emigrate were to seek a better living environment (51%), to ensure a better education for their children (29%), and to obtain alternative overseas permanent residency and citizenship (27%). These findings reflect the dissatisfaction of Hong Kong people with their current living situation and education system. Of the different countries/regions, Ireland ranked top among the places to move to when considering quality of life and the economic development perspectives. When considering education as a factor determining an immigration destination, Ireland ranked second after the UK, and ahead of Canada, Australia and the US, reflecting the high value that Hong Kong parents place on an Irish education.

Ireland-Job-Market_Finance-District-at-Dublin

In terms of methods through which to emigrate, more than 40% of respondents preferred investment immigration, for the main reason that it is simpler and more direct. Among the investment immigration programmes, Irish immigration ranked top based on the ease of obtaining application approval and the flexibility of its residing requirements compared to other investment immigration programmes. This reflects how well the Irish investment immigration programme suits the needs of Hong Kong families – the Irish IIP allows applicants to reside just one day per year in Ireland to maintain their residency, enabling them to immigrate without relocating for easier managing of their current business and networks, as well as for efficient tax planning.

Considering all the factors offered by different countries/regions and their immigration programmes, the top three most popular emigration destinations for Hong Kong people were Taiwan, Australia and Ireland.

In 2021, Bartra received total investment of €54 million (60 family applications) and became the largest project supplier and service provider of the Irish Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) in Asia. The majority of Bartra’s investor applications took six to nine months to be approved, with the shortest time for approval taking less than three months. Mr. Jeffrey Ling, Regional Director of Bartra Wealth Advisors, said, “Many high-income families in Hong Kong have formed an intention to emigrate, but more than 30% of respondents have some hesitation due to their current job or business. The IIP in Ireland provides great flexibility with regard to travelling requirements; families only need to reside one day per year in the country to retain their right of abode. Therefore, investors do not need to quit their jobs in Hong Kong, and can obtain an overseas residency relatively quickly without relocating.”

Additionally, Ireland is the only English-speaking country in the European Union, which presents fewer language barriers for Hong Kong immigrants. The accompanying children of IIP applicants to Ireland can also enjoy free education there at a choice of schools. Those who have residency, study in Ireland and reside there for five years can apply for citizenship individually at the age of 18, so parents have greater flexibility to travel and can avoid long-staying resident requirements in the country. The Irish education system is among the best in the world, ranking seventh internationally. Apart from being a member of the European Union and the Eurozone, Ireland is also part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) with the UK, providing various rights to citizens of both countries. Ireland also offers an attractive living environment; in a ranking of the best countries to live in 2022 it came in joint second place with Switzerland, behind Norway.

Ireland also provides ample investment opportunities. Bartra offers its Social Housing and Nursing Home projects to IIP clients to obtain permanent residency in Ireland, which can be achieved in three or five years (4% annual interest for the 5-year investment option). Both of Bartra’s projects have a full repayment guarantee for capital protection. Bartra has a proven track record of 100% for approval, renewal and repayment. And it is the only developer in the IIP field that sources, builds and manages projects from start to finish in Ireland, and offers the services of its in-group overseas immigration arm, which provides professional immigration by investment advisory. To meet the IIP’s €2 million asset proof requirements, applicants can use stocks, funds, cash value of insurance policies, properties, and even car parking spaces, valuable paintings or collectables. Investment is only required after receipt of an application approval letter. Some clients seek advice from financial services to pledge or refinance their assets to fund the €1 million investment in the current low-interest environment to obtain residency without disposing of existing investments.

Loughshinny Nursing Home repayment – client Luna Wu on her successful IIP journey

In March, Bartra proudly invited our clients in Ireland to visit Loughshinny Nursing Home, a project they invested in back in 2017 that is now complete and in operation. We are pleased to see that our clients are satisfied with their IIP investment journey with Bartra, not only because their principal amounts are secure with the agreed interest on the return on investment, but also having seen the project built to high specifications and now providing the highest quality of care to over 120 residents under Bartra’s successful management.

Ms Luna Wu is one of the investors. She invested in Bartra’s Loughshinny Nursing Home in 2017 and moved to Ireland with her family, including daughter Ellie, after receiving their Stamp 4 visa. She has now received the full repayment and interest from Bartra following the five-year investment term.

During the recent site visit, we spoke to Luna and Ellie. “I am glad to see my investment in Loughshinny has made a contribution to society,” says Luna. “The value of the investment is so meaningful beyond just the financial element. I am happy to see the project is well built, well managed, and that the people living in the care homes are happy.”

Luna’s family is planning to start a new business in Ireland using the repayment fund as capital. One of her ideas is to seed fund digital products related to cultural and lifestyle exchange between Ireland and China, while her husband plans to expand his retail business in Ireland. The couple enjoy their life in Ireland, and are keen to continue to explore all that the Emerald Isle has to offer.

Watch our interview with Luna to learn more about her journey to Ireland and her experience with the IIP and Bartra.

In a letter to investors, Mike Flannery, CEO of Bartra Group said, “In January, Bartra completed the repayment to all of our Loughshinny Nursing Home investors. The Executive Team is proud to repay all principal amounts and the agreed interest to investors. It is also with great delight that several investors have decided to re-invest in other non-IIP Bartra projects, showing their confidence in Bartra’s management team. It also demonstrates Bartra’s ability to continuously create investment opportunities for its clients and proves Bartra’s commitment to guiding investors along their IIP journey.”

Best-in-class Loughshinny Nursing Home

What makes this IIP project successful? At Bartra, we believe a great healthcare project requires three things: a great location, great specifications and great people. Our Loughshinny home ticks all those boxes.

Overlooking the Irish Sea, Loughshinny Nursing Home has been constructed on a panoramic 3.5-hectare site approximately 15km from Dublin City Centre in Blacklands, Skerries, Co. Dublin. The site is located within Fingal County Council (one of four local authorities in the Greater Dublin Area), which has a population of 555,000, of which 72,000 (13%) are aged 65 and over.

The construction of Loughshinny Nursing Home was completed in June 2019, and is now in operation, providing 123 world-class single occupancy private ensuite rooms within a state-of-the-art residential setting.

In addition, residents’ comfort and safety has always been our utmost priority. Loughshinny Nursing Home accommodates some of the most advanced equipment to ensure high-tech and intelligent nursing services. All beds can be easily raised and lowered, and the mattresses in each room are customised in consideration of body pressure distribution. Furthermore, every room is equipped with an alarm system for daily needs or emergency assistance.

Our highly skilled and experienced care team is inculcating a culture of quality caregiving in all our facilities, ensuring a standard of care that recognises our residents’ needs for independence, choice, dignity, respect, compassion and advocacy.

Additional project details:

  • Mid 2016: Fundraising began
  • November 2017: Construction started
  • As of 2019: All investors in the project and their family members had obtained Irish Stamp 4 visas
  • April 2019: The first investor in the Loughshinny Nursing Home Project successfully obtained the Stamp 4 renewal. He was also the first investor to enjoy the cancellation of the programme’s landing requirement
  • May 24, 2019: Loughshinny was completed and delivered
  • June 19, 2019: HIQA staff visited Loughshinny and confirmed that all facilities fully met HIQA standards.
  • July 1, 2019: The HIQA certification was officially effective
  • July 5, 2019: Bartra and the National Medical Purchasing Foundation of Ireland (NTPF) reached an agreement on the bed rate of the Nursing Home Support Scheme, and the NTPF agreement was signed for funding €1210/bed/week
  • July 17, 2019: Loughshinny welcomed its first occupant
  • July, 2020: During the pandemic, Loughshinny featured in the Irish Times; it has now resumed normal operations.
  • August 18-19, 2021, Manuela Cristea, inspector of the Irish HIQA visited Loughshinny for a two-day inspection. She spoke to residents, nursing home management and healthcare personnel, and assessed the overall capacity, quality and safety of the healthcare service. Loughshinny nursing home met the highest standards set by the HIQA and has been deemed fully compliant with all regulations. This is testament to Bartra’s successful management of the nursing home and all of its staff.

A successful IIP investment journey

Bartra is the only group that integrates development, operation and management in the IIP. The one-stop-shop services help investors mitigate risk during their investment journey. Successful applicants enjoy a fast approval time for the whole family with minimal residing requirements, and 100% capital repayment as well as a total of 20% interest for return on investment at maturity.

While investing in Bartra’s IIP nursing homes is a way to obtain Irish residency, it is also an amazing contribution to Irish society. Nursing care is an in-demand sector in Ireland. Due to years of under-investment in the country’s key infrastructure, the Irish nursing home sector is facing a major shortage of beds. Additionally, Ireland has an ageing population, which further increases the demand for nursing home facilities. By 2036, Ireland’s population aged over 80 is expected to rise from 170,000 in 2020 to more than double that at 343,000. Private sector investment in nursing home care plays an important role in supporting the sector in the medium to long term. It is also a safe investment funded by the government. More information is available about the benefits of investing in Bartra’s nursing homes here.

We are dedicated to providing our clients with the best IIP projects and services to ensure a straightforward and enjoyable journey to investing and living in Ireland.

Recognising Our Top 10 Accomplishments Of 2021

As the year draws to a close, the challenges of these unprecedented times persist. However, there were moments of pride as Bartra was able to navigate uncertainty and build and create a unique business model to help our clients and their families pursue their dream and live better.

There were many moments in 2021 to celebrate. Here are some of the highlights from a truly memorable year.

In April, Colmcille House at Stoneybatter, Social Housing Phase I was completed. The project offers 23 apartments to house families in need and has signed a 25-years Enhance Lease with the government, providing excellent income stability. Poplar Row, another Phase I Social Housing project also located in Dublin, will be completed next year, offering 39 apartments.

The specification and construction quality of our social housing developments never disappoint; this is our commitment. Take a look at our completed Colmcille House project below.

In May, we opened a new office in Ho Chi Minh City to provide streamlined, in-group, end-to-end Irish immigration services for our clients in Vietnam, as handled by our dedicated local team. Since then, nearly €7 million has been raised from Vietnam investors.

As we were in Hong Kong, we became the first company in Vietnam to provide direct Irish investment immigration services, and we are thrilled to have achieved amazing results, despite having only opened the office in May and considering the challenges of the pandemic.This shows that our clients have absolute confidence in our business and projects.

▲ Jenny Thao Dang, Head of Bartra Wealth Advisors Vietnam, was interviewed by Ho Chi Minh City television channel HTV9 in November

In July, Bartra’s Phase IV Clondalkin nursing home project was fully subscribed, raising €20 million from IIP applicants for this 146-bed project. The construction of Clondalkin began in June, following three earlier nursing home projects that are already in operation. Bartra is the only group that integrates development, operation and management in IIP projects, which are run and managed by a dedicated division – Bartra Healthcare. Bartra’s nursing homes are safe, authorised and much-needed projects in Ireland, and they have a state-backed revenue stream.

We are committed to the quality of our nursing homes and to providing our clients with their principal repayment and 4% interest per annum. The Clondalkin scheme is popular among our clients, who have said they can use the 20% interest obtained at maturity, which is €200,000, to pay for their children’s school fees or to buy property in Ireland.

In August, Bartra published Ireland: An Essential Guide. Co-written with an Irish journalist, the 74-page book provides information on everything from planning a trip to Ireland to making a move and includes a wealth of practical tips such as suggested places to shop, drink and eat, where to find information on public transport, and how to seek medical advice, understand banking requirements, locate desirable living districts, evaluate property types for purchase, select schools and many more helpful do’s and don’ts.

Ireland: An Essential Guide is available in three languages – English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Vietnamese. Click here to get a free printed copy.

In August, Bartra’s Shanghai team moved into a new office in Wheelock Square, one of the newest and tallest buildings in Puxi, Shanghai. To date, we have opened offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen in China. This is also the first year we have offered clients direct Irish investment immigration services in China, encouraged by the success of our business model in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

At the opening ceremony of our new Shanghai office, James Hartshorn, CEO and Co-founder of Bartra Wealth Advisors, said: “Over the last five years, Bartra has provided investors with the best IIP projects in the market with minimal risks. We also established a local landing team in Ireland to complete our one-stop-shop services. We will not forget why we started in the first place. Going forward, we will continue to provide first-class IIP projects and services, and work hard to offer more opportunities for our clients to have a better life.”

In October, we launched the Phase V Cookstown Tallaght Nursing Home globally. This purpose-built project will provide 131 beds. Offering just 20 slots for IIP investors, more than half have already been sold with Bartra raising €6 million in two weeks at the project ‘pre-launch’ stage from IIP clients in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Cookstown Tallaght is located in the heart of Tallaght, a thriving urban hub with a population of 80,000 making it one of Dublin’s largest suburbs. It benefits from excellent transport links – the Belgard Luas light rail station is just 250 metres away, providing access for both staff and the families of residents. It also boasts proximity to major hospitals, including Tallaght University Hospital, Ireland’s leading academic teaching hospital, which is less than a kilometre away, and St James’s Hospital, just 8km away.

In September, we received planning permission for the €400 million redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens (a non-IIP project) in Dublin 7. This project will be our largest in-house project to date, delivering more than 1,000 units. This development will also encompass two new parks, dedicated cultural and community spaces, shops, a café and a crèche.

Aside from IIP projects, Bartra Group’s property portfolios span all sectors of the market in Ireland, including commercial real estate, residential homes, shared living and renewable energy. It is worth mentioning that, at the end of 2019, the Irish Government’s Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) invested €8 million in Bartra’s co-living business. The confidence of the government and investment from the sovereign development fund in our projects demonstrates the solidity of our businesses.

In September, Bartra received more than 40 renewal permissions, maintaining its 100% renewal rate.

We pride ourselves on delivering streamlined end-to-end services. Our unique business model supports clients throughout their investment and immigration journey, from immigration advisory and case submission to visa renewal and exit execution through to landing services.

By the end of November, we had received nearly 60 IIP applications, with an approximate investment amount of €50 million.

Across Asia, we have a monopoly on the IIP with the largest market share in Enterprise Investment. This is our expertise. Investing in the IIP with Bartra is very safe, and we maintain a 100% application approval rate and renewal rate, providing 100% capital protection.

In Q4 of this year, investors of our first nursing home project, Loughshinny, began receiving their repayments. Loughshinny was built in May 2019, and is currently in operation, offering 123 beds and the highest HIQA standards. We are pleased to see our clients are happy, with many choosing to re-invest in additional Bartra businesses.

▲ Loughshinny, Bartra’s first nursing project, built in May 2019

We are grateful for everything we have achieved in 2021 and look forward to another successful year full of opportunities in 2022. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our clients and friends, peers and partners, for all of your dedication, support and hard work.