3. Country-by-Country Breakdown: Why Are These Four Countries Most Suitable for "Dual-Path Planning"?
1) New Zealand: The Country Most Like a "Family Long-Term Roadmap"
New Zealand's advantage lies in the fact that both its investment and student pathways can lead to more long-term institutional arrangements.
Investment Side
Official information shows that the Active Investor Plus Visa allows applicants to:
- Invest at least NZD 5 million under the Growth category and hold it for 3 years; or
- Invest at least NZD 10 million under the Balanced category and hold it for 5 years;
and bring partners and dependent children aged 24 and below, while applying for permanent residence after meeting the conditions.
Student Side
New Zealand's student visa system is relatively mature; studying for more than 3 months usually requires a Student Visa; after graduation, one can apply for a Post Study Work Visa, with eligible individuals able to stay and work for up to 3 years, further connecting to skilled migration or other residence pathways.
Why It Suits Families
- Parents can take the investment path, and children can be directly included in the family application or later extend independently through the education path
- Young applicants can form an independent path through "study → work → skilled migration"
- The overall system is more suitable for making a "10-year family plan"
More Suitable for Which Types of People
- Families with high net worth who are willing to make long-term allocations in English-speaking countries
- Those who hope their children will truly stay for employment and settlement locally after graduation
2) Singapore: High Investment Threshold, but Strong Education and Identity Value
Investment Side
GIP is one of the few high-threshold investor programs explicitly targeting PR. The updated official fact sheet for 2025 shows:
- Option A: Invest at least S$10 million in new businesses or expanding existing businesses
- Option B: Invest at least S$25 million in GIP-select funds
- Option C: Establish a single-family office with AUM of at least S$200 million and meet the requirements of transferring and deploying at least S$50 million in assets
Student Side
Singapore's Student's Pass system is mature; foreign students generally need to apply for a Student's Pass after being admitted to full-time educational institutions. Students themselves do not automatically gain immigration eligibility, but the value of education, employment, and long-term family allocation is very high.
Why It Suits Families
- Strong education quality, international schools, and higher education resources
- For high-net-worth families, GIP is a unified allocation tool for "identity + education + career planning"
- Children's education and family asset management can be considered within the same city framework
Biggest Limitations
- Extremely high investment threshold
- The student path itself is not a direct immigration channel
3) Malaysia: Not a Traditional Immigration Country, but Very Suitable for a "Lifestyle + Education" Combination
Investment/Long-Term Residence Side
Malaysia's MM2H is more like a long-term residence plan, not a typical PR program. It is more suitable for addressing:
- Long-term residence
- Children's education
- Balance between English environment and cost of living
Student Side
The Student Pass system is mature, with EMGS providing relatively complete guidelines, materials, and processes for international student applications.
Why It Suits Families
- Friendly international schools and English environment
- Housing prices, living, and education costs are lower than in Singapore and New Zealand
- More suitable as a "second residence + education base"
Biggest Limitations
- Do not interpret MM2H as an "immigration identity channel"
- It is more like a lifestyle arrangement, not nationality/permanent residence planning
4) Thailand: Suitable for Long-Term Living and International Education, but Not a Typical Immigration Country
Investment/Long-Term Stay Side
Thailand's LTR targets high-net-worth and specific groups; Thailand Privilege provides multi-year stay convenience. Both enhance the feasibility of long-term living.
Student Side
Thailand has a formal student visa system, and international schools and some international higher education programs are attractive to regional families.
Why It Suits Families
- High convenience for long-term stays
- Relatively controllable international schools and cost of living
- More suitable for considering "education + residence + Southeast Asian asset allocation" together
Biggest Limitations
- Long-term visas do not equal permanent residence
- More suitable for "lifestyle allocation," not to be understood as a typical immigration country
