Golden Visa “Shouldn’t Be Dictated by Ideological Fears”: Investment Migration People in the News This Week

Investment migration people in the news this week included:

• Mischa Mannix-Opie of Greener Pastures
• Fernando Ferreira of Ventures.eu
• Stuart Nash of Nash Kelly Global
• Ognjen Pavlovic of Argentina Expat
• Saurabh Gupta
• Uday Narang of Omega Seiki Mobility
• Jeremy Savory of Savory & Partners
• Nicholas Mastroianni of U.S. Immigration Fund
• Ignacio Donoso of Donoso & Partners, LLC
• Nadadur S. Kumar of Law Offices of Nadadur S. Kumar

Reuters – New Zealand reverses course to let some foreign investors buy homes

Mischa Mannix-Opie, from Greener Pastures, which specializes in helping people get residency in New Zealand through investment, said while not everyone wanted to buy a house in New Zealand, their clients would be pleased to have the option.

[…]

“It really enhances the proposition,” she said adding for many people it’s lifestyle that attracts them to investing in New Zealand and being able to buy a home would help them achieve that lifestyle.

Eco – Golden Visas 2.0: More value for the country, more sense for the investor

Fernando Ferreira of Ventures.eu writes an opinion piece for Eco.

[…]

This is precisely where the true opportunity and (perhaps also) the major strategic error of the latest changes to the program lie. By progressively restricting investment avenues, particularly in real estate, the political debate has lost sight of the most valuable aspect of what could be leveraged: the contribution of investors to the renewal of the Portuguese economic and business fabric. Instead of viewing golden visas simply as a way to attract capital, we should embrace them as a platform for importing talent, new ideas, and entrepreneurial ambition.

[…]

The future of Portugal’s golden visa program should not be dictated by ideological fears or hasty generalizations. The challenge lies in redesigning the program with rigor, transparency, and strategic ambition. The priority must be to attract the right investors, to the right sectors, with the right incentives. Because, when well-directed, golden visas can be much more than a capital-raising instrument, transforming them into a driver of economic renewal and a lever for the future we want to build.

Fox News – Popular destination may expand ‘golden’ visa perks, opening more doors for wealthy

Stuart Nash, former New Zealand minister for economic development and co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, told Fox News Digital the visas are becoming more popular.

[…]

“You’ve got a war going on in Europe, you’ve got the tinderbox, which is the Middle East,” he said. “You’ve got a change in the U.S. administration, which is causing more polarization than we’ve seen in a long, long time.”

Travel Biz – New Zealand eases property ban for golden visa investors

Experts believe the change could make New Zealand more appealing to wealthy migrants who had previously ruled it out due to property restrictions. Former minister Stuart Nash noted that allowing property purchases deepens investors’ connection to the country, increasing the likelihood of long-term economic contributions. Still, the actual effect on house prices is expected to be minimal given the small number of eligible homes.

Business Insider – New Zealand carves out a luxury housing loophole to woo golden visa millionaires

“Within maybe the first three sentences, the word Trump does come up as a reason why they do want to move,” Stuart Nash, a former New Zealand cabinet minister who cofounded relocation concierge Nash Kelly Global, told Business Insider on Monday.

[…]

Others simply come for the lifestyle: Queenstown’s ski slopes, world-class wineries, and courses like Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers have become magnets for affluent transplants, Nash said.

Business Insider – A consultant who helps wealthy Americans move to New Zealand shares 3 top reasons people are relocating

“The vast majority of ultra-high-net-worth individuals globally have always sought a tax haven,” Stuart Nash, a former member of parliament and cabinet minister who cofounded the relocation concierge Nash Kelly Global, told Business Insider. Now, “more are seeking a safe haven.”

[…]

“There’s a disproportionate number of very good golfers” who show interest in New Zealand, Nash said.

Realtor – Americans Living in These States Are Driving the Boom in Golden Visa Applications—as They Seek ‘Plan B’ Passports for Other Nations

Argentina Expat founder Ognjen Pavlovic says that interest in moving abroad has skyrocketed in the U.S.

[…]

“Up until a few years ago, the main customers for these [golden visa] programs were Russians, Chinese, Arabs, rich Africans,” he tells Realtor.com®. “But there has been more and more interest from wealthy Americans.”

[…]

“If the average American sells the average house, they can buy a golden visa in many other countries, and they’re getting much more for their money, and would still have quarter of a million dollars to live on and invest,” explains Pavlovic.

The Straits Times – ‘Little India’ in Dubai grows as Golden visa attracts Indian professionals and entrepreneurs

Noida-based property consultant Saurabh Gupta told ST that, in the past four years, inquiries from high-income professionals in India to buy villas and apartments in Dubai have doubled.

[…]

Almost all have gone on to make the purchase to create “a second home in Dubai, to save funds and for investment diversification”, he said. “Only years later do they even think about moving there or not.”

[…]

Mr Uday Narang, founder of Omega Seiki Mobility, told business news website The Ken: “Dubai offers easy access to regional and international capital, making it an ideal base for scaling operations quickly.”

Forbes – Argentina’s Golden Visa Attracts Investors With U.S. Visa Waiver Potential

Jeremy Savory, founder and CEO of Savory & Partners, a wealth mobility firm, says of the program, “This would be a major development in the global citizenship landscape as the country offers no worldwide taxation for non-residents, visa-free access to 160+ destinations including the Schengen Area and China, and a fast-track to Spanish citizenship in just two years upon relocation. It is a powerful mobility and tax arbitrage play.”

[…]

But for Savory, the devil will be in the details of how Argentina structures its golden visa program, which their company has already seen a spike in interest in from U.S. investors. “If Argentina waives physical stay requirements and introduces a family-friendly structure, it will position itself ahead of Turkey and potentially fill the void left by Malta, after its program closure. At $500,000, this would be one of the most strategically-priced ‘Plan B’ passports available to serious investors. Especially if, as expected, Argentina rejoins the U.S. visa waiver program.”

Financial Express- US updates age out calculator for immigration: Will it impact kids of EB-5, H-1B, green card applicants?

“In practice, the policy change introduced by USCIS will cause more children to become unable to remain attached to their parents’ green card visa petition because the children will become adults over age 21 for purposes of the U.S. immigration system,” says Nicholas Mastroianni III, President & CMO, U.S. Immigration Fund

[…]

“USCIS’s new instruction says that, for any adjustment filings submitted on or after August 15, the agency will rely on the latter — the date when visas can be issued — when it computes whether a child remains under 21. In practice, that makes the age-test stricter for new filings because the ‘issue’ date is often later than the ‘file’ date,” adds Mastroianni III.

[…]

“Due to the long waiting lists for EB2 and EB3 green cards for Indian-born skilled workers, the new interpretation of the CSPA increases the chance that a young child will be eventually be considered over age 21 under U.S. immigration law, and thereby excluded (age-out) from the parent’s green card process as years pass,” says Ignacio Donoso – Managing Partner, Donoso & Partners, LLC.

Business Today – Is EB-5 visa still worth it? Benefits, challenges: Key insights from immigration expert

As Mr. Nadadur S. Kumar, Founder & Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Nadadur S. Kumar, explained, the program has seen various changes over the years, with new legislation designed to improve its structure. However, challenges remain, particularly for Indian applicants.