One of the biggest mistakes people make when thinking about their future is assuming the same options will always be there.

They assume the doors that are open today will still be open tomorrow and that the pathways available for them today will still exist when they decide they’re “ready.”

But real-world opportunities don’t work like that.

They exist for a period of time… and then they change, or in some cases disappear completely. 

For years, one of the most powerful citizenship-by-descent programs was offered by the Italian government.

…and not because of Italy itself, necessarily, but because of what it unlocked for you throughout the entire European Union. 

If you could trace your lineage back to an Italian ancestor who was alive after March 17th,1861 (the date the Kingdom of Italy was created) and who hadn’t renounced their citizenship, chances are you had a pretty good shot at securing your status as an Italian citizen.

If you were successful, what you received was the legal right to live, work and utilize the services (healthcare, education, etc.) across 31 different countries.

…and not to mention the Visa-Free (or visa-on-arrival) access into 190+ countries that the Italian passport grants you…

It was, quite literally, a second life… sitting there in the background, waiting to be activated.

Up until recently, the barrier to entry wasn’t wealth. 

It was paperwork and time. 

…tedious, but doable… 

Now here’s where things shift.

For decades, this pathway existed under a principle known as “jus sanguinis”, which translates to “right by blood”. 

If you could prove your lineage to an Italian ancestor who was alive after the creation of the Kingdom of Italy, you could, in many cases, claim citizenship.

That meant someone whose great-great-grandparents left Italy generations ago could still qualify.

In practical terms, tens of millions of people around the world had access to this option.

However, in 2025, Italy introduced a new law that materially changed how citizenship by descent works, and now, in 2026, the Italian Constitutional Court has upheld those restrictive changes.

Now, what was once a multigenerational pathway has been reduced to just one or two generations, with only those who have a parent or grandparent born in Italy qualifying.

That’s a completely different game.

The person whose great-grandfather left Sicily in 1910?

Locked out.

The family who assumed they could “get around to it later” because Nonna’s Nonna never left Calabria…

Too late.

The rules have changed, and they are being enforced.

Simple.

Most people mistakenly believe that if something exists today, it will exist tomorrow.

If they qualify now, they will qualify later.

If they wait, nothing material will change.

But that’s not how governments work.

In Italy’s case, the system became too popular.

Too many people were applying, and the consulates were overwhelmed, so they changed the rules just like that.

This isn’t unique to Italy.

We’ve seen it happen with other residency programs.

We’ve seen it in citizenship-by-investment programs.

…and we’ll continue to see programs like this disappear. 

Most people delay action because nothing feels urgent yet.

They tell themselves they’ll revisit it later, when they have more clarity and know every little detail of every step they’ll need to take to be successful. 

But the reality is simple: opportunities don’t wait for you to feel ready.

And by the time you do “feel ready”, they’re often gone.

The families who are best positioned today didn’t act because it was urgent.

They acted because it was available.

They secured residencies while straightforward programs were available.

They opened accounts offshore while access was still being granted. 

They moved decisively when options were available. 

The best Plan-Bs are not built under pressure; they’re built while you still have the luxury of choice.

If you’ve been sitting idle waiting to make your move, allow this to act as your warning.

There will be fewer options available to you the longer you stay on the sidelines. 

Later is not guaranteed to look anything like today.

Somewhere right now, there are people digging through old family records, trying to figure out if they still qualify for Italian citizenship… and they’re realizing they missed their shot.

Don’t put yourself in that position.

If you want to understand how we help families think through these decisions, how we identify jurisdictions, and how we structure real, actionable Plan-B strategies, the first thing you need to do is read this important letter here carefully. 

Once you’ve gone through it, you can fill out this application and schedule a no-obligation call with my Head of Client Intake, Melissa, to understand what your options actually look like right now.

I highly encourage you to take the time right now to do as I am telling you because, as we’ve just seen, options don’t last forever.

Speak soon,

Mikkel

PS. An option available to all of you right now sits on the Northeast coast of Brazil, where non-residents, expats, and foreigners alike can still own fully titled properties without having to even set foot inside the country. This coming Saturday, I am hosting a special presentation where I will discuss how investors and families just like you are already earning serious (hands-off) monthly cash flow by investing in strategically located beachfront rental properties. The presentation will kick off at 10am, Panama Time, and it’s free to attend. If you’re serious about coming, you can secure your seat by clicking this highlighted blue text here.

PPS. There aren’t unlimited spots in the presentation room, and based on the registration numbers we've received so far, the seats are going to fill up. So, if you’re interested, you need to register right now. If you already know you aren’t going to show up, please don’t bother registering, as you would be taking a seat away from someone who will. 

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