New Zealand golden visa attracts American, Chinese investors, shows data

Revamped Active Investor Plus Visa draws strong global demand, with US investors making up nearly 40 per cent of applicants

Wealthy Americans and Chinese dominate applications for New Zealand’s “golden visa”, according to the most recent data released by the government.

 

Immigration New Zealand (INZ), the government agency responsible for managing immigration, issuing visas, and controlling border entry into the country, said the revamped residency-by-investment programme has attracted 573 applications covering 1,833 people. Before the changes, the visa drew 116 applications over two-and-a-half years.

 

Investors from the United States accounted for nearly 40 per cent of applicants, followed by China and Hong Kong. Since August 2025, applications from China have more than doubled, rising from 45 to 95.

   

The remaining top 10 countries, in order, included Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea (tied), and Great Britain.

 

Investment routes under the scheme

 

New Zealand offers two categories under its “golden visa” framework. Most applicants have opted for the Growth category, which requires a minimum investment of NZ$5 million (about $3 million) over three years. A smaller group has applied under the Balanced category, which requires at least $10 million over five years. The earlier version of the scheme required an investment of $15 million.

 

These applications represent a potential minimum investment pipeline of NZ$3.39 billion.

 

So far, 430 applications have been approved in principle, 72 in the Balanced category and 358 in the Growth category, while six withdrawal requests have been processed. Another 143 applications remain under assessment.

 

The average time for an application under the new settings to receive approval in principle stands at 25 working days.

 

Approvals and funds committed so far

 

As of February 11, 2026, a total of 182 applications have been fully approved and applicants granted resident visas. Of these, 39 fall under the Balanced category and 143 under the Growth category.

 

The total committed investment from approved applicants stands at about $1.05 billion for New Zealand’s economy. Most funds so far have been directed into Invest New Zealand–approved managed funds and bonds.

 

Applications by nationality

 

Applications received and number of people by key nationalities are as follows:

 

United States of America: 213 applications, 617 people

China: 95 applications, 309 people

Hong Kong: 76 applications, 249 people

Germany: 40 applications, 154 people

Taiwan: 29 applications, 96 people

Singapore: 26 applications, 97 people

Vietnam: 16 applications, 66 people

Japan: 14 applications, 46 people

South Korea: 14 applications, 41 people

Great Britain: 8 applications, 18 people

 

Overall, INZ recorded 573 applications covering 1,833 people.

 

What changed in April 2025

 

New rules for the Active Investor Plus Visa took effect in April 2025, easing several requirements to attract more high-net-worth applicants.

 

Key changes include:

 

> Introduction of two investment categories: Growth and Balanced

> Reduction in minimum investment from NZ$15 million to NZ$5 million (Growth) and NZ$10 million (Balanced)

> Expansion of eligible investments to include bonds and certain property-type assets for Balanced category applicants

> Removal of the English-language requirement

> Reduced physical presence requirement, cutting the time needed in New Zealand from three years to three weeks for some investors

 

The Growth category focuses on higher-risk investments such as managed funds and direct investments in New Zealand businesses, requiring a minimum NZ$5 million investment over three years.

 

The Balanced category allows a broader mix of lower-risk investments and requires at least NZ$10 million over five years.

 

Successful applicants are permitted to purchase residential property in New Zealand only if the home is valued above $5 million.