<\/p>\n
Wealthy Americans are dominating applications for New Zealand\u2019s \u201cgolden visa\u201d, driven by a love for the country\u2019s natural beauty and entrepreneurial spirit, as well a desire to escape Trump\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n
New rules for the Active Investor Plus visa came into effect in April 2025, lowering investment thresholds, removing English-language requirements and cutting the amount of time applicants must spend in the country to establish residency from three years to three weeks. Successful applicants can only purchase homes in New Zealand worth more than $5m.<\/p>\n
Immigration New Zealand said the new scheme offering residency to wealthy foreigners has attracted 573 applications, representing 1,833 people. Before the changes, the visa attracted 116 applications over two-and-a-half years.<\/p>\n The most recent data released by the government showed that investors from the US made up nearly 40% of applicants, followed by China and Hong Kong. Since August 2025, the number of applications from China more than doubled, from 45 to 95.<\/p>\n The remaining top 10 countries in order included Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea tied, and Great Britain.<\/p>\n There are two categories of \u201cgolden visa\u201d in New Zealand. Most have applied under the \u201cgrowth\u201d category, which requires a minimum NZ$5m ($3m) investment over three years. A smaller group applied under the \u201cbalanced\u201d category, which sets a minimum investment of $10m over five years. The previous scheme required an investment of $15m.<\/p>\n