La Trobe Financial’s aggressive marketing to Asian markets has resulted in its first investment under the Significant Investor Visa 888.
The specialist lender has had a focus on the Chinese market since 2009, when it opened its first office in Shanghai with a team fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.
The SIV is a permanent residency visa which was launched at the end of 2012.
To qualify, potential investors must invest $5 million or more into complying investments for a minimum of four years prior to applying for permanent residence.
There are no English language threshold requirements for applications, no age limit or the need to satisfy the innovations points test which apply to normal business innovations visas.
In line with its China strategy, La Trobe Financial also provides a Professional Placement Scholarship Program designed specifically to benefit participants who, while they are already experienced managers (and work within the wealth management, banking and finance industry),
would benefit from a structured executive training program in an international environment. The program, now in its fifth year, has had senior managers from the 5 leading banks in China including China Development Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of Communications.
La Trobe Financial’s chief wealth management officer, Randal Williams said the program has become famous in China by demand, and the lender is now running a symposium in Shanghai and Beijing.
“Our China relationships have grown dramatically because of the significant investment we have made in our China Program. We are now seeing the fruit from the trees we planted back in 2009.”
