New Zealand is rolling out the welcome mat to wealthy foreigners, and Americans are leading the surge. A revamped “golden visa” program introduced in April 2025 sharply reduced minimum investment thresholds and residency requirements while eliminating English-language rules. Since then, Immigration New Zealand reports 573 applications covering 1,833 people.
That marks a dramatic jump from the 116 applications filed in the two and a half years before the changes. Nearly 40% of applicants are now from the United States, according to the Guardian, followed by China and Hong Kong.
The Active Investor Plus visa grants residency to those who invest at least NZ$5 million (about US$3 million) over three years under the “growth” category, or NZ$10 million over five years in the “balanced” category—down from the previous NZ$15 million requirement. Residency can now be established after just three weeks of living in the country, rather than three years.
Successful applicants may purchase homes only if they cost more than NZ$5 million, an exception to New Zealand’s broader ban on foreign homebuyers. The government says the program has generated NZ$3.39 billion in investment so far.