Updated
GL-M-09
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- Who it is
- The person in whose name the application is made; other family members are included as dependants
- What rests with them
- The investment, the main due diligence check, evidence of the source of funds
- Why it matters
- The requirements for the main applicant are stricter than for other family members
- Can it be chosen
- Yes, and sometimes choosing a spouse for this role changes the outcome of the application
- What to consider
- Whose background and financial history will pass the check more easily
02 / In plain words
What Main applicant means
The main applicant is the person in whose name the application under a programme is made. It is they who make the investment, undergo the main check and evidence the source of funds. The spouse, children and other family members are included in the application as dependants, and the requirements for them are, as a rule, less strict.
This has an important consequence: choosing the main applicant is a strategic decision, not a formality. The check focuses on them: their background, sources of income, business history, public mentions, connections. If one of the spouses has a simpler and clearer history, it is sensible to consider them for the role of main applicant.
The decision is not made on the basis of “who raises fewer questions”, however, but on the overall picture: whose documents evidence the source of funds, who actually owns the assets, whose situation will withstand the check without stretching the facts. Hiding anything is pointless — the check looks at the family as a whole anyway — but structuring the application sensibly from the start is wise.
In Vanuatu the main applicant completes fields A of the CIIP form and is the only one who proves the source of funds: asset statement, bank letter, 6-month statement, reference.
A case from practice
In one family, the assets and a clear financial history belonged to the wife, while the husband’s business history required lengthy explanations. The wife was the logical main applicant — the application went through without protracted requests.
When this decision carries weight
- Making an application for a family
- Spouses with different sources of income
- Assets held in the name of one spouse
- One spouse has a complex business history
- Including adult children and parents
- Planning future naturalisation
03 / What it covers
What rests with the main applicant
Investment
- Paying in the funds
- Evidencing the origin
- Payment from their own account
Check
- Due Diligence
- Sanctions screening
- Public mentions
Documents
- A full set of their own documents
- Evidence of kinship
- Biographical information
Family
- Spouse as a dependant
- Children by age
- Parents, subject to conditions
04 / How it works
How the decision is made
Assess both spouses’ backgrounds
Check the source of funds
Choose the main applicant
Assemble the set for the family
Filing the application
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
The main check focuses on the main applicant
02
The investment is made in their name and from their account
03
Requirements for dependants are usually less strict
04
Family composition in the application is limited by the programme’s conditions
05
Changing the main applicant after filing is difficult
Common mistakes
- Choosing the main applicant automatically, without discussion
- Making the payment from an account other than the main applicant’s
- Hiding difficult episodes in one’s background
- Not checking who actually owns the assets
- Planning to replace the applicant after filing
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Before filing, both spouses’ situations are reviewed: sources of income, ownership of assets, business history, public mentions. The decision on who goes as main applicant is made on the overall picture, not on a single criterion. And the payment is planned straight away — it must come from the account of the person named as main applicant.
What we do for you. We discuss the choice of main applicant at the very first meeting, before documents are collected. This decision affects the speed and outcome of the check more than most other preparatory steps.
Anna KovalevskayaExpert in Caribbean citizenship by investment programs
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
The person in whose name the application is made: they make the investment, undergo the main check and evidence the source of funds.
As a rule, yes — if both spouses meet the programme’s requirements. It is a strategic decision, not a formality.
Yes. The main check focuses on them; requirements for dependent family members are usually less strict.
From the main applicant’s account. A payment from a third party almost always raises questions or is not counted.
This is usually difficult and means refiling. That is why the decision is made before the process begins.
A spouse, children and, in some programmes, parents — subject to conditions on age and dependency. The rules differ between programmes.
Related terms
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