Australia praised for ease of residency requirements
Australia has been ranked as fifth in the world for its investment migration programme, thanks to the range of options available to help business people gain residency.
According to Henley & Partners, which specialises in citizenship and residency advice, the Australian Residence-By-Investment programme was in fifth place, joint with Malta and Spain.
There were several options for entrepreneurs and business people looking to migrate to Australia including the Business Innovation and Investment programme, Business Talent programme and the Global Talent Independent programme.
Requirements ranged from passing a points test, having business turnover of at least $500,000, having net assets of $2.25 million and agreeing to receive $200,000 in venture capital funding from an Australian company, depending on the type of programme.
The top countries for ease of achieving residency was jointly Austria and Portugal while Malta was top for those looking to obtain citizenship of the country.
Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners, said: “While in the past, alternative residence or citizenship may have been seen as ‘nice-to-have’ assets of convenience that enhanced travel freedom and provided vacation homes, the coronavirus has prompted a further shift. Now they are ‘must-have’ essential assets because of the undeniable advantages they provide, including giving families alternative relocation options in a time of crisis.”
Recommended for you
With regional and rural suburbs exhibiting high spare capacity to invest, Money Management speaks to three regional advisers on the opportunities beyond the major cities and the importance of a strong network.
Platform consolidation is expected to accelerate among financial advisers this year, as software company Finura pinpoints which two platforms are set to be the winners, thanks to this trend.
The software provider has made several appointments in its APAC wealth propositions team, with a focus on driving growth across digital advice, Xplan and strategic partnerships.
The platform has announced it plans to close its Xplore managed discretionary account service in 2026 which holds $2 billion in funds under administration.