Wealthy Americans top ‘golden visa’ surge in New Zealand and applications from China double

US family who were 100th to be granted residency under investor scheme say they want to give back to amazing' New Zealand

Wealthy Americans are dominating applications for New Zealand's golden visa", driven by a love for the country's natural beauty and entrepreneurial spirit, as well a desire to escape Trump's administration.

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.