Compare jurisdictions, side by side.

UK residency routes:

• Skilled Worker visa - employer-sponsored
• Innovator Founder visa - for endorsed founders
• Global Talent visa - for endorsed experts
• Self-Sponsorship via own company (with substance)
• Family routes - spouse / partner / dependents
• Ancestry visa for eligible Commonwealth nationals

Brazilian residency routes:

• Investor visa (VIPER / VITEM) - qualifying investment in a Brazilian business
• Digital nomad visa - remote workers
• Retirement visa - qualifying pension income
• Family reunification
• Employer-sponsored work permits

Saint Lucia routes:

• Citizenship by Investment (CBI) via fund contribution or approved real-estate investment
• Standard work permits
• Family routes

UK Limited companies are widely used internationally. HMRC corporation tax, VAT thresholds, and PSC (people with significant control) reporting apply. Substance expectations have tightened.

Ltda and SA are the standard structures. CNPJ registration, state registrations, and Receita Federal tax registration follow. The MEI regime suits micro-entrepreneurs.

Domestic companies and IBCs are common in international structures.

Resident banking is mature but onboarding is slow for non-residents. Many international founders use UK EMIs (Revolut, Monzo Business, etc.) alongside high-street accounts. Bordercase coordinates introductions for cross-border cases.

Residency unlocks personal and corporate banking. Pix has changed everyday payments; SWIFT for international flows still requires careful KYC.

Banking is selective. Bordercase coordinates banking introductions through current partners.

Family reunification is supported. Schools (state, private, international) are widely available; competition for top schools is real.

Family reunification is supported on most routes. International schools (English, German, French, Japanese) are concentrated in São Paulo, Rio, and Brasília.

CBI can include qualifying dependents.

Risks Bordercase watches for in the UK:

• Tax residency triggers (Statutory Residence Test)
• Sole-rep / Innovator endorsement standards have tightened
• Brexit-era operational variation between UK and EU services
• Sponsorship Compliance for licensed sponsors

Risks Bordercase watches for in Brazil:

• Tax residency rules and worldwide-income reporting
• Real-estate restrictions in certain border regions
• Document apostille + Portuguese translation

Risks Bordercase watches for in Saint Lucia:

• Programme parameters change
• Due diligence has tightened
• Reputational and revocation risks if information is misrepresented

Typical UK documents:

• Passport
• Certificate of Sponsorship (for sponsored routes)
• TB test (for certain nationalities)
• Maintenance funds evidence
• Apostilled / certified documents for family routes

Typical Brazilian documents:

• Passport
• Apostilled foreign documents
• Proof of income or investment
• Photographs to specification
• Brazilian consular application abroad for most routes

Typical CBI documents:

• Passport
• Due diligence questionnaires
• Source-of-funds evidence (extensive)
• Family certificates with apostille and translation