Maybe you’re tired of sharing a studio apartment with five other coders. Or perhaps WeWork’s beer selection no longer inspires big thoughts. Or maybe you’re just a restless multimillionaire who simply wants to be rich somewhere else. Whatever the case, New Zealand has the immigration system for you. The country’s Global Impact Visa is as much about intellectual renewal and generating positive vibes as economic impact. You can live in New Zealand or not, do business in New Zealand or not, and stay in New Zealand at the end of the visa term or not. The main requirements, which were set when the program was established two years ago, are that you’re an interesting person with good intentions and good ideas and that you know lots of other interesting people with good intentions and good ideas.
Another unusual thing about New Zealand’s visa program is it wasn’t conceived by New Zealanders. Three overseas transplants—an Ethiopian, Yoseph Ayele, and two American brothers, Brian and Matthew Monahan—came up with the Global Impact Visa from a rural compound the brothers own near Wellington. The property has yurts, geodesic domes, composting toilets, and something called a “Zen Den,” all nestled on hundreds of hilly acres of grassland and forest. It’s gorgeous. Twice a year, the place fills with crowds of new Global Impact Visa holders who camp and discuss their plans for world harmony. Imagine a verdant Burning Man with lots more global utopianism, and you’ll get the idea.