Latest news with #GreenerPasturesNewZealand
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Greener Pastures Applauds Milestone as Active Investor Plus Program Surpasses 100 Applicants and $600 Million in Capital Commitments
AUCKLAND, New Zealand--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Greener Pastures New Zealand, a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program, today celebrated a major milestone in the country's revamped Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. The program has now received over 100 formal applications, representing an estimated NZD $600 million in committed capital to be deployed across New Zealand's private sector. In a promising signal for New Zealand's innovation-driven economy, 80% of these applicants selected the growth investment category, which prioritizes direct investment into New Zealand-managed funds and operating businesses. 'As one of the pioneering firms supporting clients through the AIP process, we have witnessed this first hand with our various meetings with clients around the world,' said Dominic Jones, Managing Director of Greener Pastures New Zealand. 'It reflects not only strong international interest in New Zealand as a destination for strategic investment and lifestyle, but also the government's success in aligning immigration policy with long-term economic development.' Greener Pastures operates the Greener Pastures Diversified Fund, an approved investment vehicle under the AIP program. The firm provides end-to-end advisory for global investors pursuing residency in New Zealand, including investment management, relocation support, and strategic introductions across New Zealand's business and lifestyle ecosystems. The program's success to date is the result of coordinated efforts by Invest New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand, and private sector partners working across borders to attract high-quality investors and activate capital that will fuel job creation, innovation, and sustainable growth across the country. Invest New Zealand General Manager, Benny Goodman says the recent changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa have made it even easier to invest in New Zealand. 'New Zealand has a vibrant eco-system of investment opportunities – from growth companies through to more established entities, projects and funds. The Active Investor Plus Visa pathway makes it easy for investors to connect with these opportunities and gain permanent residence in New Zealand.' For more information on Greener Pastures New Zealand, please visit About Greener Pastures New Zealand Greener Pastures New Zealand is a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. As a subsidiary of Origin Capital Partners, the firm provides tailored investment products and lifestyle transition support, ensuring a smooth relocation process for high-net-worth investors. Its government-approved Diversified Fund meets AIP visa criteria, while its tailored lifestyle services ensure a smooth transition, from real estate and education to local expertise. Led by Managing Director Dominic Jones and Board Chairman Simon Botherway, Greener Pastures helps global investors build secure, sustainable futures in one of the world's most desirable destinations. Learn more at
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greener Pastures Applauds Milestone as Active Investor Plus Program Surpasses 100 Applicants and $600 Million in Capital Commitments
80% of investors choose growth category, channeling capital into New Zealand's innovation economy AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Greener Pastures New Zealand, a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program, today celebrated a major milestone in the country's revamped Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. The program has now received over 100 formal applications, representing an estimated NZD $600 million in committed capital to be deployed across New Zealand's private sector. In a promising signal for New Zealand's innovation-driven economy, 80% of these applicants selected the growth investment category, which prioritizes direct investment into New Zealand-managed funds and operating businesses. "As one of the pioneering firms supporting clients through the AIP process, we have witnessed this first hand with our various meetings with clients around the world," said Dominic Jones, Managing Director of Greener Pastures New Zealand. "It reflects not only strong international interest in New Zealand as a destination for strategic investment and lifestyle, but also the government's success in aligning immigration policy with long-term economic development." Greener Pastures operates the Greener Pastures Diversified Fund, an approved investment vehicle under the AIP program. The firm provides end-to-end advisory for global investors pursuing residency in New Zealand, including investment management, relocation support, and strategic introductions across New Zealand's business and lifestyle ecosystems. The program's success to date is the result of coordinated efforts by Invest New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand, and private sector partners working across borders to attract high-quality investors and activate capital that will fuel job creation, innovation, and sustainable growth across the country. Invest New Zealand General Manager, Benny Goodman says the recent changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa have made it even easier to invest in New Zealand. "New Zealand has a vibrant eco-system of investment opportunities – from growth companies through to more established entities, projects and funds. The Active Investor Plus Visa pathway makes it easy for investors to connect with these opportunities and gain permanent residence in New Zealand." For more information on Greener Pastures New Zealand, please visit About Greener Pastures New Zealand Greener Pastures New Zealand is a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. As a subsidiary of Origin Capital Partners, the firm provides tailored investment products and lifestyle transition support, ensuring a smooth relocation process for high-net-worth investors. Its government-approved Diversified Fund meets AIP visa criteria, while its tailored lifestyle services ensure a smooth transition, from real estate and education to local expertise. Led by Managing Director Dominic Jones and Board Chairman Simon Botherway, Greener Pastures helps global investors build secure, sustainable futures in one of the world's most desirable destinations. Learn more at View source version on Contacts Stephen FrancyRubenstein PR212-805-3017sfrancy@ Sign in to access your portfolio
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Want to move to Middle-earth? New Zealand just made it easier for rich Americans to stay
Want to move to Middle-earth? New Zealand just made it easier for rich Americans to stay Show Caption Hide Caption Want to move abroad? These are the best countries for remote workers. Here are seven countries with digital nomad visas if you're looking to move abroad. New Zealand eased requirements for its Active Investor Plus Visa Program, making it simpler for wealthy individuals to gain residency. The updated program removes the English-language requirement and reduces the minimum required stay. While the visa contributes towards citizenship, it requires additional time spent in New Zealand. While some countries may be scaling back their golden visa opportunities, New Zealand just made it easier for wealthy Americans to earn residency. New Zealand relaxed several of the requirements for its Active Investor Plus Visa Program on April 1. The program launched in September 2022 as part of a broader scheme to attract "global citizens who can bring ideas and financial capital into the country," according to Dominic Jones, managing director of Origin Capital Partners and Greener Pastures New Zealand, a firm that helps people achieve these visas. At first, the program brought in an average of $1 billion NZD a year, but then tightened its rules. Since then, only 43 applications have been approved. The new modifications include removing the English-language requirement, requiring investments in full and shortening the time people need to spend in the country to as little as 21 days, according to the New Zealand government website. "These changes help attract high value investment, simplify settings, and incentivize people to invest in 'active' investment classes," it states. "The theory behind that is by putting money into the local business, there's a direct benefit on jobs. And from that, either a benefit in terms of economic outpour or for New Zealand in particular – we're an export-led nation – so they're very much trying to encourage dollars in equaling tangible benefit out on the other side for New Zealand," Jones said. On a recent visit to the island nation, Dr. Travis Taylor and his partner Chris fell in love with its mountainscapes and welcoming culture. They find New Zealand's South Island, known for its glaciers, to be their ideal destination to live part-time for about five months out of the year once they retire and are just starting their visa process. "I love it, it was absolutely gorgeous," Taylor said. "It's just an amazing to drive around." He added that New Zealand's small population compared to its land mass, offers the quiet retreat they've been looking for. Here's what to know about New Zealand's golden visa. Make your journey safer and smarter: Sign up for USA TODAY's Travel newsletter. What to know about golden visas: You could 'buy' European residency for about $500K What are the requirements for New Zealand's golden visa? Interested expats can pursue two newly introduced routes, but in both cases, investments need to be made within six months, according to the official website. The Growth Category, or a minimum 5 million NZD (about $2.87 million) investment over a three-year period in managed funds and direct business investments, plus a 21-day stay. The Balanced Category, or a minimum investment of 10 million NZD (about $5.74 million) over five years in a diverse range of investments, like philanthropy and bonds, as well as spending 105 days in the country. Additional investments for the latter will also shorten the required time in New Zealand. What are the benefits of a New Zealand residency? Besides abundant coastal and mountain landscapes – the latter of which are so stunning that they're nicknamed the Southern Alps – New Zealand boasts a stable democracy and relaxed way of living, according to Jones. It's often ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, according to the World Population Review. It's also one of the few English-speaking countries that offer a golden visa, added Jones. Australia and the United Kingdom don't, although the U.S. recently launched one. How long does it take to get citizenship to New Zealand? The visa is not the same as citizenship, but it counts towards the five years needed to earn citizenship. You'd also need to be present in the country for 240 days each year.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What to know about golden visas, Trump's controversial immigration program
President Donald Trump created a stir last week when he announced a new plan to combat the national debt: Selling aspiring Americans a pathway to citizenship for $5 million. 'You have a green card. This is a gold card,' Trump said during an Oval Office news conference. 'We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million and that's going to give you green card privileges, plus it's going to be a route to citizenship. And wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card.' Billionaire Mark Cuban endorsed Trump's plan as a replacement for the HB-1 visa program. 'If you ain't gonna hire American, pay taxpayers for the right,' he wrote on X. While Trump's plan has several logistical and legal issues — namely that it would be outside the scope of his powers as president and that it likely lacks sufficient distinction from the already existing EB-5 visa — such immigration policies are not uncommon on a global scale. Nearly half of all countries have laws in place to allow some form of residency or citizenship by investment. Nearly 60 have active programs, including nations as disparate as Malta, Cambodia, and Dominica. Travel documents obtained through these programs are colloquially referred to as 'golden visas.' In the last decade, the popularity of these visa programs have exploded across the globe. 'From our perspective, the demand at the moment is huge,' Dominic Jones, the managing director of Greener Pastures New Zealand, which assists people in obtaining the New Zealand Active Investor Plus visa, told Quartz. 'It's unprecedented and we're blown away by the interest.' Though golden visas are popular across the world, particularly for financially successful families and individuals from emerging economies, Americans have outstripped many other countries in pursuit of citizenship or residency by investment in recent years. Between 2019 and 2024, Henley & Partners, a firm dedicated to assisting the wealthy obtain golden visas, reported a 1,000% increase in its American client base. Dominic Volek, the firm's group head of private clients, told Quartz that more Americans have sought out his firm for assistance obtaining residency or citizenship by investment than the next four countries combined. At the same time, however, golden visas are often highly controversial in the countries that already have these programs. Many critics argue that the programs amount to selling passports and say they're frequently used for money laundering. Here's everything you need to know about golden visas and residency by investment. There are two reasons why golden visas earned their shiny nickname. The first, and perhaps more obvious reason, is the price tag attached. Depending on the desired country of residence, people seeking visas need to invest in the country through purchasing property, putting money into the economy, or making outright contributions to the government. The other reason these visas are golden, however, is their flexibility. 'There's very little physical presence required to maintain the right to reside [in the desired country],' Volek told Quartz. 'You can live there if you want, but you don't have to. It's a good backup plan, depending on your outlook on the geopolitical challenges of your home country.' While limited residency requirements are a perk for those seeking golden visas, they're also the cause of significant controversy. Malta, for example, is considered the gold standard of golden visas: Henley & Partners consistently ranks the country's golden visa program as the best in the world. But the ease of accessing Maltese residency and citizenship after spending extremely limited periods of time inside the country has come under fire from other European Union member states. In 2020, the European Commission opened infringement procedures against Malta and Cyprus for 'selling' EU citizenship. 'The Commission considers that the granting of EU citizenship for pre-determined payments or investments without any genuine link with the Member States concerned, undermines the essence of EU citizenship,' it said. A 2021 joint investigation by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, The Guardian, Dossier Centre and five independent Maltese media organizations used leaked Henley & Partners documents to reveal that wealthy individuals from countries including China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia planned to spend an average of just 16 days in Malta before obtaining Maltese passports. In response to the investigation, Henley & Partners issued a statement in 2021 saying it was 'proud of the service that it has provided to Malta and its people.' 'We are fully aware of the potential inherent risks in handling client applications for residence and citizenship and have invested significant time and capital in recent years to create a governance structure that is committed to the highest of standards,' the statement continued. 'Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the countries involved to investigate and vet applicants.' Like all immigrants and expatriates, the people seeking golden visas are motivated by a variety of factors. 'It's rising geopolitical uncertainty, retrenching of globalization, and risk mitigation,' Jones explained. 'In the same way high network individuals mitigate risk in their own investments by having a portfolio, having a second residency or citizenship option is something they are increasingly looking into.' People seeking New Zealand's golden visa, he said, are often motivated by a desire to reside in such a famously beautiful and laid back country. But New Zealand is an outlier: In many cases, when people seek golden visas, they have little intention of ever residing full time in the country. For those from emerging economies, in Africa or southeast Asia, gaining a golden visa is often a strategy to travel with fewer restrictions, Volek said. If their home country's passport is comparatively weak, a golden visa can ensure that they travel internationally with ease. Malta and Austria are considered a desirable country for those seeking golden visas because, as members of the EU, their visas open up access to travel, work, and study across Europe. Even for Americans, who have an especially strong passport, the allure of EU residency is still highly desirable. It allows for even more visa-free travel and the right to live, study, and work across Europe. 'Most of the clients are interested in having an insurance policy in place,' said Volek. 'That's been a big shift over the last few years. Security is no longer just a concern for emerging markets.' While the individuals obtaining golden visas benefit through a long-term sense of security, the governments offering the visas receive something more tangible and immediate: a massive influx of cash. The exact mechanism for investment varies from country to country. It 'very much depends on what the country is trying to achieve,' said Volek. In New Zealand, for example, individuals are required to invest between $2.9 million and $5.8 million. Investment options include philanthropy, managed funds, or property development. 'This is a really positive tool for New Zealand,' said Jones. 'We have a low population. We have pretty shallow capital pools. For us to attract both financial and human capital is really, really valuable for our country.' Conversely, in Malta, golden visa recipients make a non-refundable contribution to the Maltese government. 'The government realized they have something that is attractive to successful, wealthy people,' said Volek. 'So they set up a program where investors contribute to a Maltese sovereign fund. There's no financial return to [investors]. [Their] money is gone. But Malta then uses that for projects in the country. They build bridges, they build roads, they have bursary programs for local students.' There is reason to believe, however, that the economic benefits of golden visas programs are overstated. In 2024, Australia scrapped its golden visa program, with government officials arguing that the program was 'delivering poor economic outcomes.' 'It has been obvious for years that this visa is not delivering what our country and economy needs,' Australian Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil said in a statement last year after the country ended the program. Over the years, investigations from the government, watchdog groups, and journalists revealed the program was vulnerable to exploitation — especially from wealthy criminals using their investment in Australia as a money-laundering scheme. The United Kingdom also recently canceled its golden visa program. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there was widespread concern that wealthy Russians were abusing the system. In the aftermath of the rollback, members of both Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat parties criticized the program for enabling international criminals. 'Golden visas were a shocking loophole for dirty money to make its way into our economy, and for oligarchs to buy their way into this country,' Labour Member of Parliament Margaret Hodge said last year, according to the Guardian. Hodge, who chaired a parliamentary anti-corruption committee, continued, 'we need full transparency on who benefited from it and what went wrong.' 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Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Greener Pastures New Zealand Celebrates Visa Changes to Welcome High Value Citizens, Announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, February 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Greener Pastures New Zealand, a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program, welcomes the significant immigration changes announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Hon Nicola Willis, and Immigration Minister Hon Erica Stanford at the Auckland Business Chamber's special session on Immigration & Economic Growth. These meaningful improvements will make New Zealand an even more attractive destination for high-net-worth investors, by incentivizing, simplifying and broadening the investment offerings for global entrepreneurs and business leaders seeking residency through the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. The new measures will enhance accessibility for global citizens seeking New Zealand's lifestyle whilst also contributing to New Zealand's economy. From 1 April the current complex weighting system for the AIP will be replaced with two clear investment categories. The Growth category will focus on direct investments into New Zealand businesses and managed funds, requiring a minimum investment of USD 2.9 million* over three years. Meanwhile, the Balanced category will allow for a mix of investments, with a minimum requirement of USD 5.8 million* over five years and an expanded scope of acceptable investments. Investor residency requirements have also been significantly reduced, with Growth investors needing to spend just 21 days in New Zealand over the investment period, while Balanced investors will require 105 days. "This is a significant moment for international investors considering New Zealand as their home," said Dominic Jones, Managing Director of Greener Pastures New Zealand and Origin Capital Partners. "These updates lower the investment threshold and expand qualifying options, including managed funds like the Greener Pastures Diversified Fund, which now enables New Zealand residency with an investment of USD 2.9 million. This reflects New Zealand's commitment to fostering a dynamic and investment-friendly environment for high-value global citizens looking to establish a future for themselves and their families. We are excited to support our clients as they navigate these new opportunities." "Capital is highly mobile and in an increasingly complex world, people are looking for a safe and stable country to do business," Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said. "We are now making our investor visa simpler and more flexible to incentivize investors to choose New Zealand as a destination." Greener Pastures New Zealand is dedicated to guiding investors through this evolving landscape, ensuring they maximize the benefits of these policy enhancements. As a trusted partner in the Active Investor Plus visa, the firm is committed to providing expert advisory services to high-net-worth individuals eager to establish a prosperous future in New Zealand. For more information on Greener Pastures New Zealand, please visit *The USD investment value is based on the NZD5 million to NZD10 million investment requirement, assuming a conversion rate of USD0.58 to NZD1.0. The total investment required depends on the investment category selected. About Greener Pastures New Zealand Greener Pastures New Zealand is a premier investment and lifestyle advisory firm specializing in facilitating high-net-worth investor residency through New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa program. As a subsidiary of Origin Capital Partners, the firm provides tailored investment products and lifestyle transition support, ensuring a smooth relocation process for high-net-worth investors. Its government-approved Diversified Fund meets AIP visa criteria, while its tailored lifestyle services ensure a smooth transition, from real estate and education to local expertise. Led by Managing Director Dominic Jones and Board Chairman Simon Botherway, Greener Pastures helps global investors build secure, sustainable futures in one of the world's most desirable destinations. Learn more at View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT Stephen FrancyRubenstein PR212-805-3017sfrancy@
