Client story
Client's Story
Where they started
The client wanted an Italian residence permit but approached the budget rationally: he had no desire to invest two million in government bonds or half a million in a company when a more accessible pathway existed. He sought the optimal entry point by investment amount without overpaying for status.
Why the standard route did not work
The Italian investment residence permit is ideal for this purpose: the program offers several thresholds for different budgets, and the lowest is an investment of 250 000 euros in an innovative startup registered in a special registry. This is four times less than the company threshold and significantly less than government bonds.
What BRIDGES had to solve
A low threshold does not mean simplified project due diligence: the startup must genuinely qualify as innovative and be registered, and it should be thoroughly reviewed before investment. In other words, the pathway is accessible in terms of amount but requires thoughtful project selection, not investment in the first available "startup."
Why a standard answer would not do
The client came to BRIDGES to enter the program at the optimal threshold intelligently: to select an innovative startup that qualifies and has been vetted, and to secure residence permit status through it for 250 000 euros.
I did not understand why to invest millions if entry was possible at lower cost. Anna explained that the Italian program has several thresholds, and the lowest is a startup at 250 thousand euros. This is many times less than government bonds. But the team did not let me invest carelessly: they selected an innovative startup from the registry and verified it. As a result, I obtained a residence permit at an optimal amount without overpaying for status. If your budget is reasonable, this is the ideal entry point.
