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
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.