New Zealand said on Monday there has been a rush in applications for its new foreign investor migrant visa as the centre-right government looks to lure more high net-worth individuals to the country to stimulate economic growth.
The government in April relaxed rules for the visa, including lowering the minimum required funds for the category that focuses on higher-risk investments to NZ$5 million ($3 million) from NZ$15 million, and removing the English language requirement.
"(There has been) a flood of formal interest in the new 'golden' visa," Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said.
"New applications under the scheme represent a potential NZ$845 million ($503 million) of new investment in New Zealand business."
In a statement, Stanford said the government had received 189 applications in less than three months for the Active Investor Plus visa, compared with 116 submissions over more than two-and-a-half years under the previous settings.
Eighty-five of those applications, or just under half of the total, were submitted by U.S. citizens, followed by China with 26 and Hong Kong with 24.
New Zealand's economy grew faster-than-expected in the first quarter, official data showed last week, providing some relief for policymakers keen to put the economy back on a solid footing after it sank into technical recession last year.
The two-quarter GDP decline was the worst since the sharp downturn of 1991, excluding the pandemic.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
12 Comments
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Alongfortheride
Great news! About time
DDK
Frankly, people having that kind of money lying around would probably invest in the US or China, given that these two are the only economic superpowers. Can't picture anyone putting $3M on a New Zealand investment.
Garlic eater
This is not going to go well with them. The real talented entrepreneurs like Kim Dotcom who started Megaupload were treated atrociously by them. Who in their right mind would want to risk that kind of abuse?
Blacklabel
Great idea!
Just not when Trump just did the exact same thing in USA…..THAT was supposedly a horrible scam ripoff! lol
Garlic eater
If you read between the lines they are effectively admitting that they are dairy farmers and winemakers (and tourist guides) who lack even the basic foundation for generating any technology themselves.
That’s not the place to set up a business if you want to collaborate on anything.
It’s just going to attract money launderers and conmen.
Blacklabel
That is a very good point about what they did to Kim Dotcom.
Had forgotten about that whole fiasco. I think NZ hoping everyone has too, along with all the COVID related stuff.
taekwondo
Maybe ask chatGPT or Google about the NZ tech industry before commenting, I reckon.
For its size, NZ is a leading tech nation. How things change, aye?
ian
More people from US than from china combined
ian
Seems people not aware of a country relying greatlly on so called genius, Einstein or extraordinary ability visas
HopeSpringsEternal
New Zealand understands the $value of talent and talent understands the value of New Zealand, and far better than dangerous illegal alien criminals!
Obara
The government wants to keep house prices going up so it's plan is to import wealthy families, they are the only ones that can afford to buy homes (Auckland average house price is around $1.2 million ) The prime Minister and almost all New Zealand members of parliament have multiple investment property portfolios.
Obara
New Zealands national News paper 'The New Zealand herald' is backed by real estate advertising company one roof paid for by used house dealers (real estate agents) the whole situation is a massive conflict of interest. This kind of visa is basic pay to win.