Updated
GL-M-09
Glossary · Application and process
Main applicant - the family member who carries the investment and the main checks
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
We compare histories, income and public mentions.
Check the source of funds
Whose documents prove the investment money.
Choose the main applicant
The decision before filing: switching later is hard.
Assemble the set for the family
Documents for the main applicant and dependants.
Filing the application
The application is filed; the investment comes from the main applicant's account.
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01Who it is
The person the application is in
They make the investment, go through the main checks and prove the source of funds. The others are dependants.
02Why it matters
Stricter requirements
The checks focus on the main applicant: background, income, business history, public mentions.
03The choice
A strategic decision
If both spouses qualify, the main applicant should be the one whose documents best prove the funds.
04Vanuatu
Section A of the CIIP form
Only the main applicant proves the source of funds: an asset statement, a bank letter, a 6-month statement, a reference.
Common mistakes
Picking the main applicant automatically
Compare both spouses' backgrounds and documents before applying.
Paying from someone else's account
Pay the investment from the main applicant's own account.
Not checking who owns the assets
Check whose name the assets are in and where the money came from.
Planning to switch after filing
Decide before starting: a switch usually means refiling.
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
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.
