Updated
BG-STANDARDS
Standards and responsibility
Before we start a project, we have to understandwhether it can be implemented properly
BRIDGES begins by assessing the client situation, the objective of the project, the documents and the material risks.
Verify→Structure→Execute→Control
Legal · Compliance · Banking · Tax · Real Estate · Source of Funds · Risk
If a material problem is visible in advance, the client has to know about it before costs and irreversible steps begin.
Before the main structure of work is agreed, we have to understand which solution is possible, which constraints have to be taken into account and what can affect the result.
01 / Initial assessment
First we examine the task. Then we propose a solution.
The first consultation is not there to sell the client the first available programme. Before the project starts BRIDGES has to understand:
- 01Client and family
Citizenship, current residence and permanent residence statuses, composition of the family, place of living and plans for the coming years.
- 02Objective
What result is needed: citizenship, residency, a bank account, real estate, a company, an investment or several connected tasks at once.
- 03Business and capital
Companies, assets, banking relationships, ownership structure and the jurisdictions where the client already operates.
- 04Origin of funds
How the capital was formed, where the money for this particular project comes from and which documents can confirm it.
- 05Constraints
Sanctions, banking, immigration, tax, corporate and other circumstances able to affect the project.
We have to understand not only what the client wants to do, but also what may prevent it from being done properly.
Preliminary review
We check the risks before they become a problem
We check the identity, citizenship and residency of the applicant, family and corporate connections and facts that may matter for the project.
We establish the origin of the particular funds that will be used for an investment, a transaction, a property purchase or a banking operation.
We reconstruct a clear history of how the overall capital of the client was formed and determine which documents confirm it.
We check sanctions lists, PEP status and circumstances that may trigger additional requirements from banks or state authorities.
We analyse companies, shareholdings, directors, beneficial owners and material corporate connections.
We take into account current and previous banking relationships, compliance requests, refusals and possible restrictions.
We check litigation, adverse media and other circumstances that may affect the decision of a bank, a counterparty or a state authority.
We check compliance with the conditions of the chosen programme, transaction or structure.
The depth of the review depends on the task and the lawful sources available. BRIDGES does not replace banks, state authorities and regulators and does not guarantee their decisions.
Transaction control
The risk may sit not in the client but in the transaction itself
Even with an impeccable client position, the problem may sit in the seller, the developer, the bank, the partner, the asset, the contract or the payment structure.
That is why BRIDGES checks not only the client, but also whom, what and on which terms the client is entering into.
- 01CLIENT
The client and connected persons
- 02COUNTERPARTY
Seller, partner, developer, agent or other counterparty
- 03ASSET
Real estate, a company, an investment or another asset
- 04TRANSACTION
Structure of the deal, contracts, settlements and movement of funds
BRIDGES REVIEW
Real estate · developer · company · beneficial owner · bank · contract · investment project
Confidentiality by design
Confidentiality is an order of access to information
BRIDGES projects involve passports, bank statements, corporate documents and information about the family, the business and the assets of the client.
Access to information is therefore defined not by the seniority of an employee, but by the need of a particular specialist to work with a particular part of the project.
Need-to-Know · Minimum Necessary Disclosure · Controlled Sharing · Client Consent · No Publicity by Default
Confidentiality is not a promise. It is a set of rules for access to information.
Partner network
A complex project needs specialists in the relevant fields
One project may simultaneously require the competence of an immigration lawyer, a tax adviser, a bank, a notary, an auditor, a real estate specialist or a local attorney. BRIDGES assembles the working group according to the task and the jurisdictions.
Whom we involve
- local attorneys
- immigration specialists
- tax advisers
- notaries
- auditors
- banking specialists
- fiduciary / trustees
- valuers
- investigators
- real estate specialists
BRIDGES remains the single point of coordination of the project.
- 01who performs each part of the work
- 02in which jurisdiction
- 03on the basis of which licence or competence
- 04what BRIDGES is responsible for
- 05what the external specialist is responsible for
- 06which costs belong to each side
BRIDGES · PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
Cost transparency
The client has to understand the cost structure before the project starts
Before the start BRIDGES separates its own fee, state payments, the cost of external specialists and the costs related to the asset or the transaction.
- 01Professional Fees
The fee of BRIDGES and of the engaged specialists in the relevant fields.
- 02Government Fees
Official state charges, duties and registration payments.
- 03Third-Party Costs
Notary, translation, apostille, valuation, audit, legalisation and other external costs.
- 04Investment / Asset Cost
The cost of the property, the investment, the company share or another asset being acquired.
- 05Banking & FX Costs
Fees of banks and payment systems and currency conversion costs where they arise.
If the scope of work changes during the project or a new external cost arises, it is explained and agreed separately.
Responsibility
BRIDGES is fully responsible for its part of the project
BRIDGES is responsible for
- analysis of the initial situation
- organisation of the project
- the agreed structure of work
- preparation of documents within the Scope of Work
- the work of its own team
- coordination of the participants
- control of its own deadlines
- timely communication
- identification of material risks that can be determined in advance
- support within the agreed scope
The decision of an independent party does not depend on BRIDGES alone
- the decision to grant citizenship
- the decision on residence or permanent residence
- the decision of a bank to open or maintain an account
- the processing time of a state authority
- the outcome of banking compliance
- the actions of a consulate
- changes in legislation
- the decision of a court, a notary or a regulator
- the actions of other independent participants
Professional support does not replace the powers of a state authority, a bank or another independent participant.
Change management
If the circumstances change, we adjust the plan that follows
During the work the rules of a programme, the requirements of a bank, the composition of the family, the source of funds, the budget, the timing or the situation in the chosen country may change. This does not always mean the project has to start from the beginning.
BRIDGES assesses the consequences of the change, compares the available options, agrees the decision with the client and updates the order of work that follows.
- Assessed
- Compared options
- Agreed
- Updated the plan
When circumstances change, what matters is to understand in time what exactly has to change in the project.
Document standard
A document is checked before submission, not after a remark
The quality of the file does not guarantee a positive decision of a bank or a state authority. But properly assembled documents reduce the risk of technical errors, contradictions and additional requests.
- 01Received
The document has come into the work.
- 02Checked
We check the content, the validity and the correspondence to the task.
- 03Prepared
We determine the place of the document in the overall file and request additions where needed.
- 04Executed
We arrange translation, apostille, notarisation or any other required formality.
- 05Final check
We check the complete set once more before submission.
- 06Submitted
We hand the documents to the relevant authority, bank or organisation.
- 07Supported
We answer additional requests and update documents where the procedure requires it.
Capital transparency
The history of the capital has to be clear and verifiable
For a bank, an investment transaction, a property purchase or an immigration programme it is not enough to show the balance on an account.
It has to be explained
- how the capital was earned
- where it was held
- how it moved
- who the owner is
- which funds are being used now
- which documents confirm the history
Source of Wealth explains the origin of the capital. Source of Funds explains the origin of the money for a particular operation.
Client interest
Commercial interest must not define the recommendation
BRIDGES may receive a fee from a developer, a bank, an investment project or another participant of a transaction. That must not become a reason to recommend a solution which fits the task of the client less well.
Where economically material circumstances may affect the choice of the client, they have to be disclosed.
The interest of the client comes first. The commercial model of the project comes second.
Good-looking materials do not replace verification
An investment memorandum, a developer presentation, a financial model or a marketing brochure show the position of the seller or the initiator of the project. They do not automatically confirm title, the quality of the asset, the financial soundness of the project, the reliability of the counterparty, the correctness of the return model or the legal cleanliness of the transaction.
Especially important in
- real estate
- investments
- M&A
- corporate structures
- banking decisions
The decision is made after verification of the underlying data, not after a presentation.
Complex cases
The more complex the situation, the more the preliminary assessment matters
Several citizenships or tax residencies, international companies, PEP status, a sanctions context, a complex origin of funds, previous banking refusals or litigation require separate qualification.
In such a situation a standard programme or an off-the-shelf solution can create more risks than it solves.
First we define what exactly the problem is. Then we consider the admissible options.
Decision standard
The project passes an internal assessment before execution begins
- GO
The ground is clear, the material risks are identified, the documents and the structure allow moving to the next stage.
- REVIEW
There are legal, banking or compliance questions that have to be checked before signing or before material costs.
- STOP
There are circumstances under which the proposed option cannot be recommended in its current form.
STOP does not mean the task has no solution. It means the original option cannot be launched without changing the structure or carrying out an additional check.
What we never promise
What BRIDGES does not promise
A professional consultation must not create false confidence. We do not promise:
100% approval by a state authority · guaranteed citizenship · guaranteed residence or permanent residence · opening a bank account without compliance · a guaranteed investment return · acceleration of a procedure whose timing is set by a state authority · a completely risk-free structure · circumvention of legislation or regulatory requirements · concealment of the origin of capital · influence on the decision of an independent authority
One can be responsible for the quality of preparation, the structure of the project and the handling of known risks. One cannot guarantee the decision of an independent party.
Process
10 stages of BRIDGES project management
- 01Initial Review
Initial assessment of the task, the client and the starting position.
- 02Strategy
Definition of a possible structure of the solution.
- 03Due Diligence
Verification of the client, the participants, the assets and the material risks.
- 04Engagement
Fixing the Scope of Work, the composition of the team, the stages and the costs.
- 05Document Preparation
Preparation of the documents and the supporting evidence.
- 06Execution
Launch of the agreed actions.
- 07Submission / Transaction
Filing the application, completing the transaction or another main stage of the project.
- 08Monitoring
Control of the status, the deadlines and additional requests.
- 09Result
Obtaining the decision or completing the agreed result.
- 10Ongoing Support
Further support where connected tasks arise after the result.
Every stage has to have a clear task, a responsible person and a result.
LONG-TERM RESPONSIBILITY
BRIDGES
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
