The Hidden Queue Behind Every Passport

Portugal gives its migration agency 90 days to issue a residence permit, and the agency has taken two to three years. Only then does the ten-year count to citizenship begin. Every nationality law prints one number, but a second one, set by the queue, decides when the passport arrives. IMI follows eight routes: Portugal, the United States, five Caribbean programs, Paraguay, Panama, Spain, Poland and Italy. In the September 2026 Visa Bulletin, the final action date for Chinese investors in the unreserved EB-5 category was December 1, 2016. Caribbean brochures advertise three to six months, while IMI's Processing Times Tool recorded roughly five to 18 months on fourth-quarter 2025 data. The video also covers Paraguay, where a bill admits proceedings of three to five years against a three-year rule. In Panama, each grant needs a presidential decree. Spain lets you appeal after a year of silence, and Poland's six-month deadline excludes most delays. In Italy, a booking portal split people with identical ancestry. It ends on four questions that find the date nobody prints. Read IMI's analysis of citizenship processing times: https://www.imidaily.com/analysis/how... Read IMI's report on Portugal's nationality law and the new timeline: https://www.imidaily.com/europe/portu... Read IMI's report on Caribbean processing times: https://www.imidaily.com/analysis/car... Read IMI's interview on Panama's path to citizenship: https://www.imidaily.com/interviews/p... ▶ Watch next: Portugal's New Citizenship Law: 4 Brutal Changes    • Portugal's New Citizenship Law: 4 Brutal C...   • • • • • Access a suite of powerful tools in the #1 private investor community (use code SOV10 for 10% off your first month) – https://www.imidaily.com/imi-sovereigns/ • • • • • WHO IS IMI? 🤔 IMI is the investment migration industry's newspaper of reference and its leading professional platform. • • • • • RESOURCES 📚 How free are you? Get your Sovereign Score in just 240 seconds and a personalized action plan to liberate yourself – https://www.imidaily.com/sovereign-sc... Find the right residency or citizenship program for you – https://www.imidaily.com/imi-program-... Find the right expert or professional for your goals – https://www.imidaily.com/imi-professi... Become an IMI Pro and get investor leads – https://www.imidaily.com/pro • • • • • TIMESTAMPS ⏳ 00:00 – Start 00:27 – Two Numbers, One Date 01:05 – The Start Line Moves 03:21 – Waiting Before the Clock 04:48 – Fast Passports, Slow Files 07:06 – Waiting on a Signature 08:14 – Silence You Can Sue 08:58 – Citizens in Waiting 09:35 – Decided by a Portal 10:47 – Four Questions to Ask • • • • • DISCLAIMER ⚠️ This video is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as immigration, legal, financial, or tax advice. Consult the professionals before considering any action.