Subscription-based Marriages
In 2021, the Australian government increased the English language requirement for a permanent residency visa. By 2027, the requirements were pushed even further, requiring partners to have a proficient level of the language. The message was clear: stop marrying for a residency. They stated that the country was struggling to balance its resources and felt it was impacting their culture. The extremists had taken to violence to keep the “outsiders” at bay. But it didn’t stop people from going the marriage route and divorcing a few years later.
They weren’t sure if keeping the married partners separated would be a good idea. Some had vested interest in foreign entities residing in the country. The chances of getting re-elected were slim if they decided to go ahead with it. But the economy needed to grow, and they wanted the people to keep spending. The tried and tested method of draining tourists and students had its limitations and they needed a significant bump in the numbers.
Bundled product subscription services were the norm. Apple One, Amazon Prime were some of the early examples. Subscription management services were on the rise and people could use them to bulk manage their apps. Many users had resorted to subscription sharing- a trend which had gained popularity in China in the late 2010s and spread to the rest of the world. Companies had started taking a serious hit through these creative methods employed by their users. They started lobbying for laws against such “acts of criminal nature”. But the oligarchs came up with something grand. All they needed to do was to strike a balance between the needs of the politicians and their own interests; the politicians wanted more visitors and the companies wanted more users and data. And so, a new model was born, inspired by the SaaS model: subscription-based relationships.
It was capitalism at its extreme and oligarchy at its finest. By 2035, governments had started issuing a new kind of visa. For a relatively small sum of money, you would get a citizenship subscription. They called it Citizen+ Visa. All the services, essential and non-essential, would be linked to the Citizen+ Visa. It had all the benefits of a natural citizen on a limited-period basis; a different flavour of the work-holiday visa that many countries offered until the late 2020s. But whereas the work-holiday visa meant more backpackers, the Citizen+ visa meant more nomads. These nomads were dubbed ephemerals- professional business persons living a global life, the children of capitalism.
The growing numbers of nomads led a gentler transition into subscription-based marriages. The states would now recognise the union of two people as partners for a period subject to annual renewal. However, the transition wasn’t easy. It was preceded by a lot of fierce debating. This was a radical move that many opposed on a religious and moral basis. Some of the religious bodies needed assurances that such a move would financially benefit them; others just wouldn’t budge. At the end of the debate, the side with more money won. Marriage was the last foreseeable hurdle towards a truly subscription-based world. This allowed them to design all the essential services- banking, insurance, housing, legal services and so on, around the nomadic lifestyle. Data management entities had made it all possible.
One could enter into a marriage contract with any individual holding citizenship of any kind or pay the annual subscription to get the Citizen+ visa. The citizenship auto-renewed every time a couple decided to renew their marriage contract while an individual could choose to not renew it and pay the Citizen+ Visa fees. Every renewal would attract a premium based on the previous number of renewals. Premium packages were bundled with services like public transport, house rental, entertainment streaming, and others. Every service one used was in sync with the others. Annual renewals meant that the plans could be tailored to an individual based on profile history. The price fluctuated based on demand, so the developing countries could never do well.
Uncertainty and distrust about every aspect of life have only fuelled the trend. But the changes in the 2030s have paved way for a flexible form of living; no decision is permanent. Now, one does not simply be born and die in poverty or warfare; they transition in and out of it. One day you can be fighting a war in the Sahara, and the next week you can be sipping a misoshiru in Tokyo. Thanks to the continuing efforts of the Commonwealth Allied Partners™, you can live any experiences that you fancy.
Be a part of the global nomads and live a Truly Global Experience™. Get your Commonwealth Global+ Visa today.
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