The 41st International Residency and Overseas Investment Forum 2026, organised by ETOUCE, opened on the morning of 11 November 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together immigration consultants, project developers, lawyers and investment migration specialists from several continents. I attended as an invited guest representing CAPR. This article covers what happened, the topics that drew the most attention, and what I believe Vietnamese families should know before choosing a country to live in or invest in.

I am Nguyen Thi Hoa Van – co-founder of CAPR, an immigration consulting brand with international investment capital, and the organizer and host of weekly webinars where RCICs answer questions in our Zalo community for Canada immigration Q&A with RCICs.

When and where was the forum held?

The official name of the event is “The 41st International Residency & Overseas Investment Information Exchange Forum 2026”.

Item	Details
Dates	11-12 November 2026
Organiser	ETOUCE – Third party Cross-border Investment & Lifestyle Information Centre
Venue	New World Saigon Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Day 1 (11 Nov)	Keynote presentations and a panel discussion
Day 2 (12 Nov)	Agent workshop and channel partner matchmaking
Attendees	More than 30 immigration consultancies, developers, law firms and migration specialists from Canada, the US, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia

This is the 41st edition of the forum series organised by ETOUCE. Choosing Ho Chi Minh City as the host city shows how much attention the Vietnamese market is now receiving from the global investment migration industry.

To learn more about the organiser and past editions, read what is ETOUCE and ETOUCE events 2026 and 2027.

Why CAPR attended as an invited guest

CAPR focuses on Canadian immigration, with in-house RCICs (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants) who have more than 10 years of experience handling files directly. So why spend a full day listening to programs from other countries?

Because our clients do not only ask about Canada. Many Vietnamese families come to us after hearing about three or four different countries. They ask: “Why not that country, it is faster?” or “If I buy a second passport, am I done?” To answer honestly, I need to understand the whole picture, not just my own part of it.

The CAPR team at the forum

I did not come alone. The CAPR team attended to listen, connect with international partners and bring new knowledge back to our clients. See more photos of the CAPR team at the forum.

Key topics on 11 November

After registration at 8:30 and the opening at 10:15, presentations ran through the afternoon. Topics included:

• Capital flows toward developed markets and global passport rankings.
• US immigration, including the EB-5 investment program for infrastructure projects.
• Citizenship by investment in the Caribbean and Turkey.
• Residency in Europe: Malta, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and how to build an EU “Plan B”.
• Real estate investment linked to residence permits.

One pattern stood out: most programs presented were investment routes to residency or citizenship. That is very different from Canada’s economic immigration, where you move, work and contribute first, then become a permanent resident. I compare these approaches in a separate article: Plan B residency in 2026.

Speakers and topics on 11 November

With thanks, here are the speakers who shared their expertise on day one:

Time	Speaker	Organisation	Topic
10:15	Sherry (RCIC working with CAPR)	CAPR	Host
10:20	Jessica Huyen Do (CEO)	BGV Invest	Capital flight to developed markets: US immigration guide and global passport rankings
10:40	Lê My (Country Manager, EC Holdings Vietnam)	EC Holdings	Expertise, global presence and investment migration solutions
11:00	Dr. Stephan Gauci (Founder & Managing Director)	Phoenix Wise Solutions Limited	Malta, a European base for business, relocation and life
11:20	Michele Puzo (Investment Professional)	Oxy Capital Italia	Oxy EOS: grow your Italian future
11:40	Ibrahim Aslan (Founder & Managing Attorney)	Aslan Attorney	Turkish citizenship by investment program
14:40	Dimitris Politis (Sales Manager)	Zafido Hellas	From A to Zafido: property investment and the Greek Golden Visa
15:00	Christos Th. Vardikos (Attorney at Law, Consul of the Commonwealth of Dominica)	Vardikos & Vardikos	How to structure the ultimate plan B for greater mobility and a low tax residence in the EU
15:20	Jeremy Shackle (Senior Director)	EB5 Group LLC	EB-5 investment in US government construction projects
15:40	Yiotta Marselli and Agathi Nicolaou (Sales and Development Manager; Founder and Managing Partner)	Anys Homes LTD; A. Nicolaou & Associates L.L.C	Living the dream: residences for your family by the Mediterranean, Larnaca, Cyprus
16:00	Judy Wang (CEO)	TOPCY Development	Cyprus: the stand-out European residency solution for 2027

What was new this year: Canadian immigration firms were present

One change stood out clearly at the International Residency and Overseas Investment Forum 2026: this time, several Canadian immigration firms took part, including Greenlimes Consulting Group Ltd, Onboard Immigration Services Inc. and Wingo Consulting Group Inc. At the previous edition in Ho Chi Minh City earlier in 2026, I did not see a single Canadian firm.

What made me especially proud: the forum’s host was Sherry, an RCIC who works with CAPR and regularly speaks at our Canada immigration Q&A webinars.

To me, this is a meaningful signal. A forum traditionally centred on residency and citizenship by investment now has room for Canada. That suggests demand from Vietnamese families who want to truly live and work in Canada has grown large enough for the international industry to take notice. It matches what CAPR sees every day: more and more families ask about Canada from the very first conversation, rather than only after exploring other countries.

With more firms talking about Canada, families have more choice, and they also need to be more careful when choosing who to work with. Prioritise firms where licensed RCICs handle files directly.

Panel discussion: what do Vietnamese clients really want?

The session I followed most closely was the 16:20 panel with Christos Th. Vardikos (Vardikos & Vardikos), Hon. Philippe A. May (CEO, EC Holdings), Michele Puzo (Oxy Capital Italia), Judy Wang (CEO, TOPCY Development) and Yiotta Marselli (Anys Homes LTD), on what Vietnamese clients really want from residency and citizenship programs. The questions on the table were:

1. What are the key characteristics and preferences of Vietnamese clients compared with other markets?
2. If you had only three minutes to convince a Vietnamese client, what would you say?
3. Which Vietnamese clients best fit your program in terms of net worth, age and objectives?
4. What are your program’s advantages in cost, processing time and return on investment?
5. Looking back at policy changes over the past five years, how likely are future changes?

The first question is one I hear every day. I answer it from the perspective of someone who sits with Vietnamese families in every pathway consultation, in this article: what Vietnamese clients want from immigration.

Exhibitors

The exhibition area brought together more than 30 organisations from many markets. I list them here in appreciation of their presence:

• Canada: Greenlimes Consulting Group Ltd, Onboard Immigration Services Inc. (Canada – USA), Wingo Consulting Group Inc.
• USA: EB5 Group LLC, Clark County Regional Center
• Cyprus and Greece: Leptos Estates, Anys Homes LTD, TOPCY Development, Domenica Group, Zafido Hellas, Hellenic Grounds, Smart Homes, Euroterra Capital
• Italy: Oxy Capital Italia
• Türkiye: Aslan Attorney, Avrupa Konutları, CIFA (Türkiye – USA – Portugal), Good Land Europe (Türkiye – Japan – Greece – Antigua and Barbuda)
• Caribbean and citizenship by investment: EC Holdings, Vardikos & Vardikos (Dominica), ClientReferrals.com Ltd (Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis), Hengsheng Group (Grenada), ACE
• Asia and the Middle East: Daiwa House, Cross Link, Hotel 101 Global, Join in group (Japan), Asset Wise (Thailand), HC Technical Co., Ltd (Thailand), Wisdom Worldwide Group (Hong Kong), Realtor Signature Properties (UAE)

Four takeaways I am bringing back to CAPR clients

1. Families have more options than ever

In a single day, attendees heard about more than ten countries. That is good, but it can also be confusing. To compare fairly, you need one yardstick: where you want to live, where your children will study, and which rights you actually need (travel, residence, work or citizenship).

2. Residency, citizenship and permanent residence are three different things

A residence permit obtained through investment does not mean your family can easily move, live and work there. A second passport makes travel easier, but it does not replace a real home and education for your children. Before choosing, ask clearly what right you are actually getting.

3. Policies change, so choose a country with a stable pathway

The panel’s last question deserves attention. Canada publishes multi-year immigration levels plans, so you can see in advance how many new permanent residents it plans to welcome. The latest plan continues to welcome new permanent residents through economic programs.

4. Check the consultant before you check the program

For Canada, only licensed professionals such as RCICs or lawyers may give immigration advice for a fee. Many families lose money not because they chose the wrong country, but because they chose the wrong person.

Recent good news about Canadian immigration

While investment programs keep changing, Canada has had several positive developments for people who want to truly live and work there (articles in Vietnamese):

• Canada plans to welcome up to 622,000 new permanent residents in 2027.
• The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) becomes a permanent PR program from 1 January 2027.
• BC PNP held its largest draw of 2026 and Alberta invited 425 candidates across five AAIP draws.

Recent results for CAPR clients include a chef who received PR through RCIP after 10 months, two clients who received BC PNP nominations within 4 to 6 weeks, and a SINP EPA approved in 30 days for a candidate outside Canada.

Thank you

My sincere thanks to ETOUCE for organising such a valuable international residency forum in Ho Chi Minh City, to New World Saigon Hotel for its warm hospitality, and to every speaker and exhibitor who shared their time and knowledge. Sitting with specialists from so many countries, listening and learning, was a truly valuable experience for me and for CAPR.

If you are considering Canada

The International Residency and Overseas Investment Forum 2026 confirmed something I have long believed: there is no best program, only the program that best fits your family. Canada suits families who want to truly live there, work there, and raise their children in a stable environment.

If you would like to know where your profile stands against current Canadian programs, leave your details on our quick profile assessment form. Our RCIC will review it and suggest a suitable pathway.

More on the ETOUCE 2026 forum

• What is ETOUCE?
• ETOUCE events 2026 and 2027
• Canada immigration events in Vietnam 2026
• The CAPR team at the forum
• What Vietnamese clients really want from immigration
• Plan B residency in 2026

Đọc bản tiếng Việt: Diễn đàn đầu tư định cư quốc tế ETOUCE 2026 tại TP.HCM

FAQ

Where was the International Residency and Overseas Investment Forum 2026 held?

The 41st forum, organised by ETOUCE, was held at New World Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on 11 and 12 November 2026.

What topics did the forum cover?

Sessions covered residency and citizenship by investment in Europe, the Caribbean and Turkey, the US EB-5 program, global capital flows, and a panel on what Vietnamese clients really want.

What was CAPR’s role at the forum?

Nguyen Thi Hoa Van, co-founder of CAPR, attended as an invited guest representing CAPR, to follow market trends and bring a broader comparative view to families considering Canada.

Does Canada have an investment immigration program?

Canada currently focuses on economic programs based on skills, employment and provincial nomination. Some federal and provincial business programs have been paused or closed, so always check a program’s status at the time you apply.

I am Nguyen Thi Hoa Van – Connecting families to Canada, safely.