World Immigration News

NZ receives over 500 Active Investor Plus visa applications, tweak to Overseas Investment Act rules allows 'golden' visa holders to buy or build a residential property worth at least $5m from March 6

Release Date: 2026-02-13
Media: interest.co.nz
Summary: In April, New Zealand revised its Active Investor Plus visa, introducing two categories: Growth and Balanced. The government describes it as a “golden visa.”

Growth category: Requires a minimum investment of $5 million over three years in higher-risk assets such as managed funds or direct business investments.

Balanced category: Requires at least $10 million over five years in mixed, lower-risk investments.

Successful applicants can live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely, and their partners and children can be included. They may apply for permanent residence after three years (Growth) or five years (Balanced) if they maintain their investments.

Since the changes, 573 applications covering 1,833 applicants have been submitted, mostly in the Growth category. Approved applications have already committed about $1.05 billion, with a potential total minimum investment of $3.39 billion. The largest number of applicants come from the United States, followed by China and Hong Kong.

The government says the program is attracting high-value investors and supporting economic growth in sectors such as technology, healthcare, horticulture, and digital media.

However, opposition parties have criticized related policy changes, arguing that wealthy foreign buyers could drive up housing prices. The government maintains that investor-visa holders are limited to purchasing one home, which should minimize the impact on the housing market.
Tags: New Zealand

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