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Business Standard
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
New Zealand golden visa: 189 foreign investors apply in just 3 months
New Zealand has received nearly 200 golden visa applications in just over 10 weeks, following a revamp of its investor migration scheme on April 1, 2025. According to Immigration New Zealand, 189 applications have come in under the new Active Investor Plus visa rules, which were updated to attract experienced investors and global capital. The country's economic growth minister, Nicola Willis, said this was a sharp rise compared to the 116 applications received over more than two and a half years under the previous version of the scheme. 'Investor migrants are clearly attracted to New Zealand's growing reputation as a safe, pro-business, high-potential economy. In a world where countries compete for dollars and talent, it's great to see New Zealand's growth prospects being recognised,' said Willis. Stuart Nash, a former Labour immigration minister who now heads Nash Kelly Global, said global politics — particularly in the United States — had pushed demand higher. 'It's the main driver,' said Nash. 'Many of the people applying are of a different political persuasion to President Trump.' He said concerns around Donald Trump's foreign policy and security decisions were prompting wealthy Americans to look elsewhere. 'Putin is on the doorstep and no one is 100 per cent sure what Trump will do on Nato,' he said. 'That kind of uncertainty means people are looking to New Zealand.' Nash added that interest was also increasing because other countries had pulled back their golden visa schemes. Portugal and Ireland have both moved to limit their investor programmes, while in April the European Court of Justice ruled that Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme was in breach of EU law. New investment categories and timelines Under the new rules introduced on April 1, 2025, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment created two simplified investor pathways: > Growth category: Minimum investment of NZD $5 million over 3 years > Balanced category: NZD $10 million over 5 years According to RNZ, 100 applications had been approved in principle as of June 23. Of those, seven investors had already transferred their funds and received visas. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the early uptake had exceeded her expectations. 'As of this week we're almost at 190 after 10 weeks, and I think that shows you the level of interest from overseas, in lots of different markets we haven't seen before,' said Stanford. She noted that most applications were from nationals of the United States, Hong Kong, China and Germany. Applicants have six months to transfer their funds into New Zealand and begin investing. 'Investment Boost delivers the confidence to put that capital to work, and to ensure that people are making investments that will pay off in the long run,' said Stanford.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Rich Americans flock to apply for New Zealand's ‘golden visas' after rules relaxed
Wealthy Americans are leading the charge in applications for New Zealand's 'golden visas' after rules on applying were relaxed. New Zealand's coalition government in February loosened the requirements for its Active Investor Plus visa – commonly known as the golden visa – offering residency to wealthy foreigners in a bid to boost the flagging economy. The new rules, which came into effect in April, lowered investment thresholds, removed English-language requirements and cut the amount of time applicants must spend in the country to establish residency from three years to three weeks. Immigration New Zealand says the scheme has attracted 189 applications, representing 609 people, under the new rules. Prior to the changes, the visa attracted 116 applications over 2.5 years. Nearly half the investors who have applied hail from the US, representing 85 applications, followed by China, 26, and Hong Kong, 24. Residents from countries across Asia and Europe make up the rest of the applicants. 'Nearly everyone who is applying is applying because of the changes they're seeing under the Trump administration,' said Stuart Nash, a former Labour party minister, who now runs Nash Kelly Global, an immigration and relocation consultancy. Under the new rules, 149 applied under the visa's 'growth' category, which requires a minimum $5m investment over three years, and 40 applied under the 'balanced' category, which requires a minimum $10m investment over five years. Immigration has approved 100 applications in principle and seven have transferred their funds – netting New Zealand $45m. There has been a significant increase in interest in the visa since the changes, with investors drawn to New Zealand's stability and innovation in sustainable business and technology, said Benny Goodman, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's general manager for investment. 'This is a rare combination, and one that deeply resonates with investors thinking about legacy, not just returns,' he said. Global instability makes New Zealand – with its stable democracy, independent judiciary and safe banking system – an attractive destination, particularly to Americans, Nash said. 'We are seeing more people looking for a safe haven than a tax haven – and that's what we have got here in New Zealand, Nash said. It is not the first time New Zealand has attracted the interest of Trump-weary Americans and other wealthy foreigners seeking to make New Zealand their 'bolthole' at a time of societal division. Following Trump's 2016 election, visits to the country's immigration website rose almost 2,500%. After the supreme court decision removing abortion rights, New Zealand's immigration site visits quadrupled to 77,000. After Trump's 2024 election win, New Zealand's property market saw a surge of interest from the US. Meanwhile, billionaires acquiring residency or citizenship in New Zealand have been subject to political controversy in the past. In 2017, news broke that Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, was granted citizenship despite spending only 12 days in the country, prompting former Labour prime minister Jacinda Ardern to tighten the rules on investment visas and foreign home ownership in 2018. The loosening of the visa rules is one of a number of Ardern-era policies the right-wing coalition has wound back in its bid the boost the economy. Earlier this year it relaxed other more restrictive visa settings to attract so-called 'digital nomads' to New Zealand. New Zealand's economy suffered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the country experienced the biggest contraction in GDP of any developed country in the world in 2024, due to high interest rates and unemployment. In a statement on Monday, economic growth minister Nicola Willis said so far the visa could represent 'a potential $845 million of new investment in New Zealand business'. 'New investors don't just bring their dollars to our shores, they also bring skills, knowledge and experience that will drive future economic development,' Willis said. 'It's a win-win.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former New Zealand Minister on Golden Visa Surge
Stuart Nash, Former New Zealand Minister for Economic Development and Co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, discusses the outlook for US-New Zealand relations and the surge in golden visa applications. He speaks with Haslinda Amin on the "Insight with Haslinda Amin". Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
03-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Former New Zealand Minister on Golden Visa Surge
Stuart Nash, Former New Zealand Minister for Economic Development and Co-founder of Nash Kelly Global, discusses the outlook for US-New Zealand relations and the surge in golden visa applications. He speaks with Haslinda Amin on the "Insight with Haslinda Amin". (Source: Bloomberg)
Economic Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
New Zealand sees surge in golden visa applications following policy reforms, wealthy Americans lead the way
New Zealand has experienced a significant increase in applications for its "golden visa" program, officially known as the Active Investor Plus Visa, after implementing policy changes aimed at attracting foreign investment. In the six weeks since the revised rules took effect in April 2025, 65 new applications have been submitted, with the majority originating from the United States, as per a report by Financial Times. The updated visa program reduced the minimum investment requirement to NZ$5 million (approximately US$3 million) and eliminated the English language proficiency requirement. Additionally, the residency obligation was decreased from three years to just 21 days. The application processing time has also been shortened, averaging 11 days. According to the report by Financial Times, of the new applications, 55 are from US citizens, followed by 15 from Hong Kong and 12 from China. This influx represents a minimum capital inflow of NZ$620 million. Stuart Nash, a former immigration minister and co-founder of relocation consultancy Nash Kelly Global, attributed the surge to political factors in the United States. He stated to the Financial Times, "It's the main driver. Many of the people applying are of a different political persuasion to President Trump." (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The policy changes are part of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's strategy to stimulate New Zealand's economy by attracting foreign investment. The government is also considering further easing restrictions on foreign property purchases, although such measures face opposition within the coalition. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford commented on the increased interest, stating that the numbers indicate New Zealand is "open for business."The revamped visa program contrasts with the previous government's stricter approach, which had tightened investment visa rules in 2018 following controversies over the granting of citizenship to wealthy foreigners.
