Government Advisory Practice
Through our globally leading government advisory practice, Henley & Partners assists governments with strategic consulting as well as the design, set-up, operation, and promotion of investment-related residence and citizenship programs. We have raised more than USD 15 billion in foreign direct investment and have designed and implemented several of the most successful programs worldwide.
Program Advisory
Henley & Partners is a strategic advisor to sovereign states in the area of wealth migration, with a track record of over 25 years. We frequently hold workshops with governments across the world to provide an overview of the residence and citizenship advisory sector and highlight push and pull factors for high-net-worth investors. We also conduct feasibility studies into the viability of hosting residence and citizenship by investment programs, and — as the sector leader — consult with government working groups to consider topics relating to current or future programs on which they require expert advice.
Henley & Partners has been appointed as the global concessionaire of several highly successful programs including those of Malta and Thailand. After we received the mandate to revitalize the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program and promote it internationally, applications surged, making it one of the most successful citizenship programs in the world.
Maldives
Appointed by the Government of the Maldives to design, develop, and globally position the Maldives Pearl Visa Program and to operate its Program Office
Abu Dhabi
Appointed and mandated by the Government of Abu Dhabi to execute critical aspects of the UHNW attraction strategy for the Emirate.
Nauru
Appointed by the Government of Nauru to design, develop, and promote the Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program and to run the Program Office.
Albania
Appointed by the Government of Albania to develop innovative and competitive tax residence policies.
Program Due Diligence
Our four-tier, best-in-class due diligence process is regarded as the benchmark for best practice in residence and citizenship by investment programs around the world. Designed by Henley & Partners, it is a stage-gate, iterative, and thorough process, combining standard know your client, enhanced due diligence, and risk assessment tools, and is widely sought by governments to be applied in their residence and citizenship programs. In addition to assisting governments in introducing this state-of-the-art due diligence process, we advise governments seeking to improve their programs’ existing due diligence processes.
Our stringent due diligence checks are designed to assess any potential risks associated with applicants and ensure that only credible investors are permitted entry to host nations. The process entails verifying the applicant’s identity and personal details, source of wealth, and transparency of funds, running their details through leading due diligence software and international police databases such as Interpol and Europol, and securing independent in-depth verification reports conducted by specialized external due diligence firms.
Program Set-Up
Henley & Partners’ government advisory practice has counseled and assisted many governments on economic development strategy and implementation for residence and citizenship by investment programs. We have unique and unrivaled experience in advising on the set-up and optimization of programs and the deployment of foreign direct investment.
The firm’s detailed process includes reviewing and advising respective governments on the required legal practices and helping them establish and operate a program office that will handle residence or citizenship applications. Our teams draft procedural manuals, application forms, guidelines, and other necessary material to make the residence or citizenship process as smooth as possible for both the governments and investor families involved.
Program Promotion
Henley & Partners works with governments across the world, providing exceptional strategic marketing, communications, and country branding capabilities. We prepare relevant high-end marketing and sales material that is necessary to promote both the program and the host nation by enhancing the country’s attractiveness to international entrepreneurs, investors, and high-net-worth individuals.
The firm’s government advisory practice handles, coordinates, and exercises the launch, international positioning, and promotion of the residence or citizenship program in accordance with a global marketing plan to source and secure the appropriate caliber of applicants. Often, governments outsource the marketing of their programs to us, knowing that they will receive extensive, high-quality editorial interest in top-tier media.
