Recent figures released by the New Zealand government confirmed that the Active Investor Plus (AIP) Visa program has surpassed a major milestone, drawing over 700 to 800+ applications within 14 months and significantly increasing investment in the local economy.
Official data from Immigration New Zealand also show that wealthy Americans are increasingly applying for this investor visa program, which requires a minimum investment of $5 million New Zealand dollars over three years. Funds must be allocated to local funds, companies, or charities, with philanthropic contributions capped at 20% of the total investment.
Who Is Applying for the New Zealand Investor Visa?
More than 700 foreign nationals have applied for New Zealand’s golden visa over the past 14 months, up from 115 in the prior three years, after the government eased approval criteria.
Americans filed more than one-third of the applications submitted since April 2025, accounting for 277 applications, with many from California. The numbers also show that China and Hong Kong are the next most dominant source regions, accounting for nearly 30% of the entire applicant pool.
An additional 127 applicants sought a visa under a separate track that required a $10 million investment in passive assets, such as bonds, over five years.
Golden visa holders may remain in New Zealand indefinitely and have the right to work in the country, which has a population of more than 5 million.
New Zealand recently removed an English-language requirement and relaxed time-in-country rules for visa holders. The government also lowered the minimum investment thresholds from the original 2022 levels: to $5 million for the growth category and $10 million for the balanced category, while expanding acceptable investments in the balanced category to include bonds and property.
Growth-category applicants must spend at least 21 days in New Zealand over a three-year period. Balanced-category holders must spend at least 105 days over five years, though that requirement may be reduced by 14 days for every $1 million invested in growth-category assets, up to a maximum reduction of 42 days, lowering the minimum to 63 days. Any such investment must be proposed before the application is approved in principle.
