Investment migration people in the news this week included:
- Gavin Lloyd of Trade Me Properties
- Mo Bennis of Arton Capital
- Vaneesh Manchanda and Gaurav Golani of Urban Terrace
- Craig Myles of Aspire Realty
- Phil Gilchrist of Prime Real Estate
- Mark Harris of Sotheby’s International Realty
- Caleb Paterson of Paterson Luxury
- Raheel Sheikh of Acquisitions Entrepreneurs
- Anthony Liew of the MM2H Consultants Association
- Kashif Ansari of Juwai IQI
- Shai Zamanian of The American Legal Center
MPA Magazine – ‘Golden Visa’ turbocharges $5m+ demand as buyers take longer to commit
Customer director Gavin Lloyd links the spike directly to recent changes to the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa, the so‑called “Golden Visa”, which now allows eligible investors to buy or build a house worth $5 million or more, down from the previous $15 million threshold.
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“What we’re seeing is a direct correlation between policy certainty and global search volume,” Lloyd said. “These amendments are clearly encouraging high-net-worth individuals to re-examine Aotearoa as a premier destination for long-term investment.”
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“High-net-worth individuals from the US, UK, and Australia aren’t just browsing,” he said. “They’re zeroing in on $5 million-plus listings because the regulatory path is clearer than it’s been in years,” he said, describing an Auckland residence at that level as “a strategic asset”.
Fox News – Wealthy golden visa holders evacuated from UAE as Iran conflict escalates
Mo Bennis, an associate vice president at Arton Capital, a global financial advisory and consultancy firm, told Fox News Digital that geopolitical tensions highlight the value of mobility.
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“Moments like this inevitably remind people of the importance of having mobility and optionality in an increasingly unpredictable world,” said Bennis.
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“The UAE golden visa holders are not just investors; they are part of the national fabric,” he said.
The Economic Times – After the airstrikes: Will Golden Visa buyers pause or double down on Dubai?
“Enquiries and site visits remain remarkably steady, but what has changed is the speed of deal closures,” said Vaneesh Manchanda, Managing Partner at Urban Terrace, Dubai.
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Gaurav Golani, Managing Partner at Urban Terrace, said investors are increasingly seeking more flexible payment plans and better terms from developers as the market experiences a temporary lull in transaction activity.
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“The Golden Visa remains the primary structural anchor for Indian buyers,” Golani said, adding that while geopolitical developments may affect the timing of investments, they do not alter the underlying motivation for buying property in Dubai.
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“Capital rarely disappears during a crisis; it simply repositions itself to safer harbours,” Golani said. “Whether during the financial crisis, the pandemic or regional conflicts, Dubai has repeatedly acted as a wealth-preservation magnet.”
The Post – Golden visa holders go house hunting
This was their sustainable, see-through wine wall, imported-Italian-roof-tiles labour of love, says Aspire Realty director, Craig Myles.
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“I could never work out what the logic was of allowing people to bring their money here, but not buy somewhere to live… New Zealand has been a bit of an outlier, in terms of our welcoming of people to buy property.”
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Phil Gilchrist of Prime Real Estate has two Wānaka properties marketed as “enquiries over $5,000,000” – a high-end rural retreat and a bulldozer-beckoning house on a hectare of land with expansive views. He says the $5m+ tag is not a ploy to attract AIP investors.
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“I think there’s a bit of hype to that. We really haven’t seen it on our side of the hill anyway. There have been foreign buyers…but there’s not droves of people turning up…Our main clients are Kiwis.”
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Mark Harris, managing director of Sotheby’s International Realty, who works across Queenstown and Auckland, has seen a spike in online and in-person inquiries from overseas in the months leading up to the AIP buyer ban reversal.
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“The public may be thinking that these people are coming in and buying property from underneath Kiwis, but most of the ones we deal with want to be integrated into New Zealand, and be part of the community. So I think it’s a positive.”
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Caleb Paterson, of Auckland’s Paterson Luxury, has fielded mostly American interest. They come from industries as diverse as construction and hospitality, but the biggest budgets belong to tech entrepreneurs, he says.
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“They’re not leaving the country without buying a property.”
Forbes – What Entrepreneurs And Investors Need To Know About The E-2 Visa
Raheel Sheikh, Founder and CEO of Acquisitions Entrepreneurs writes an op-ed for forbes.
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However, the immigration environment has become increasingly complex. Many countries are facing restrictions and longer adjudication timelines. Broad immigration freezes and backlogs have affected employment-based, family-based and diversity visa categories. I’ve seen applications remain pending for longer periods, and sometimes the wait time stretches into many years without predictability.
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Investors must also understand the financial exposure built into the program. The investment must be “at risk,” and this is a strict requirement. The investor’s funds typically must be irrevocably committed and subject to partial or total loss in the normal course of business.
The Star – More Middle East interest in MM2H
Malaysia is seeing an increase in interest from citizens of Gulf countries in the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, says MM2H Consultants Association president Anthony Liew.
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“We already have some enquiries and the number is increasing. They haven’t started submitting applications because they need to verify some documents. So, that will take some time,” he said in an interview.
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Juwai IQI co-founder and Group CEO Kashif Ansari said Malaysia is a natural destination for those living in the Middle East, given its status as a safe haven and distance from the Middle East conflict.
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“We have some evidence that buyers from the Middle East region have shifted their attention to Malaysia,” he said.
The Economic Times – War fears in the Gulf revive interest in US EB-5 Visa
Shai Zamanian, a US-licensed lawyer and director of The American Legal Center’s Dubai office, says the increase in inquiries has been gradual but consistent.
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“In the first few days after the attacks, many families were simply trying to understand what was happening,” he says. “As time passes and uncertainty continues, the conversations become more practical. People begin asking what options exist if the situation becomes prolonged.”
