Wealthy Americans top ‘golden visa’ surge in New Zealand and applications from China double | New Zealand
Wealthy Americans are leading applications for New Zealand’s “golden visas,” driven by a love of the country’s natural beauty and entrepreneurial spirit as well as a desire to escape the Trump administration.
New rules for the Active Investor Plus visa come into force in April 2025, lowering investment thresholds, removing English language requirements and reducing the time applicants must spend to establish residence in the country from three years to three weeks. Successful applicants can only purchase homes worth more than $5 million in New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand said the new program, which offers residency rights to wealthy foreigners, received 573 applications representing 1,833 people. Before the changes, 116 applications for the visa had been made in two and a half years.
The latest data released by the government showed that investors from the US accounted for nearly 40% of applicants, followed by China and Hong Kong. Since August 2025, the number of applications from China has more than doubled, from 45 to 95.
The remaining top 10 countries included Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
There are two categories of “golden visas” in New Zealand. Most applied under the “growth” category, which requires a minimum investment of NZ$5 million (US$3 million) over three years. A smaller group applied under the “balanced” category, which sets a minimum investment of $10 million over five years. The previous plan required an investment of $15 million.
Courtney and Jim Andelman, a couple who run a venture capital firm from California, became the 100th family to receive a visa with their twin daughters.
He told the Guardian the visa provided the opportunity to spend more family time in New Zealand, which Courtney fell in love with during a backpacking trip 30 years ago, and was an opportunity to “give back” to the community.
He said the visa is also good for business.
“This isn’t just about fun and games and having the chance to live in one of the greatest countries on the planet; it’s also a really smart investment plan. It’s smart for us.”
He said New Zealand was an “underserved” market with “incredible entrepreneurial habits, history and technologies”.
The family has invested in various venture funds and is also eyeing companies for direct investment. They are particularly interested in New Zealand’s “deep tech” industry, which includes artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnologies.
The couple decided not to buy a house in New Zealand, partly because the $5 million price tag was too high and they didn’t want to strain the housing market. In the meantime, they will split their time between New Zealand and Santa Barbara, where they live.
“We feel a real responsibility to participate not just in one country, but in both countries.”
Robbie Paul, managing director of Auckland-based venture capital firm Icehouse Ventures, has worked with more than 30 golden visa applicants. Paul helps applicants meet their visa requirements by assisting with their investments in New Zealand.
Many of the Americans Paul worked with said the visa provided an opportunity to escape the Trump administration.
“I’ll put it this way, during my time in New Zealand I never made any reference to an applicant for Biden or Obama… and I certainly didn’t make many references to people’s feelings towards Maga and Trump,” he said.
Paul said New Zealand became an attractive option for these investors because it was English-speaking, politically stable, beautiful and “very connected to the world.”
It’s not the first time New Zealand has attracted the attention of Trump-weary Americans and other wealthy foreigners trying to turn New Zealand into a “stealth hole” at a time of social division.
After Trump’s election victory in 2016, visits to the nation’s immigration website increased by almost 2,500%. Visits to New Zealand’s immigration hotspot after the US supreme court ruled there was no constitutional right to abortion – overturning the landmark Roe v Wade case quadrupled to 77,000. After Trump’s election victory in 2024, There has been an increase in interest New Zealand real estate market from the USA.
Billionaires obtaining residence or citizenship in New Zealand have been the subject of controversy in the past. Former Labor prime minister Jacinda Ardern tightened rules on investment visas after PayPal’s billionaire co-founder Peter Thiel was granted citizenship in 2017 despite spending only 12 days in the country.
Ardern also banned foreigners from owning homes in 2018 due to concerns that foreign buyers were driving up prices during the housing crisis.
in 2025, The government announced that the ban largely continues, but “golden visa” holders can now buy homes worth more than $5 million.
While wealthy investors flock to the golden visa, record numbers of New Zealand citizens have been leaving the country in recent years due to a weak economy, high costs of living and high unemployment. latest immigration statistics However, there are signs of improvement in the data published in February; The number of citizens who left in 2025 was 66,300, compared to 67,200 in 2024.
Immigration New Zealand said the Active Investor Plus visa scheme had generated $3.39 billion in investment in New Zealand. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the new visa settings helped open up investment in New Zealand.
“International investment is critical to boost productivity, support employment and help New Zealand businesses grow,” he said in a statement.
